Dramatic Differences
by Wishing-for-a-Zoro-plushie
Summary: AU SaNa ZoLu They've suffered so much and turned out so different, and yet finding each other may be the key to recovery. Zoro's never met anyone quite like Luffy, and Luffy's never met anyone as interesting as Zoro, in fact, he's never met anyone at all
1. Chance Encounter

**AU ZoLu (ZoroxLuffy LuffyxZoro same diff) SanNam (SanjixNami NamixSanji) **

**Rating: M for violence  
Warning: This fic could become fairly emotional.  
**

**Plushie: A note to remember. The characters you are about to read may seem OOC from what you are used to. The reason for this will spoil the fic, so please be patient to find out why the characters act the way they do. This is how the fic is designed, this is how the characters are. They are not intended to be the same as Eiichiro Oda's characters. They are Clarobell's, and mine. Okieday? **

**Clarobell: It may seem like we've made Luffy 'too dumb' or another character not quite right, but believe me, there is a reason for it. You'll find out why in later chapters. Okay guys. We've done our best to eliminate all mistakes, both grammatical and spelling blah blah. Please be patient with any OOCness and let us know what you think!**

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--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 1: Chance**__** Encounter**_

The outskirts of Treble Cleff town were quiet. This town had once been very famous, having been known and named for and after a rock band called the 'Treble Cleffs'. They'd lived in the town for a long time, only leaving to tour around every few months before coming home. Now, the town informally know as Cleff, was a pit. Teenagers had swarmed to Treble Cleff town during the rock band's fame, but had not only gone there for the music and the fun. It had been also for more dirty, and horrible activities of drug dealing, alcoholism, prostitution and gambling.

The place had become a pit. A hole as some called it. Or, when being polite, a hell hole. It had become unsafe to walk around at night, and the druggie teenagers had become messed up adults, who couldn't keep a solid job and couldn't keep themselves from their own unhealthy addictions. The rock band had eventually been forgotten, but the change they brought was not. Cleff town, was not a safe place anymore. Few places remained clean from the bad influences that had swept across the area but those that did, thrived. Posh restaurants lined the streets, people with fancy cars living in large houses. The town was like the moon, with a dark and light side.

Very few people were around at this time of day, and the few that were, were only out because it was a weekend and they had nothing better to do. Sunday was the day for relaxing at home and not working; recovering from Saturday night partying. As such, the few people that were on the streets, barely even noticed the slim figure walking slowly down the sidewalk, arms swinging on either side of him as he hummed to himself. If anyone had cared to take notice, they would have seen that the boy was actually a little _too_ skinny, but was wearing at least ten layers of clothing. But no one cared about a boy walking up the street by himself.

His name was Luffy, an average looking boy with messy dark hair and fairly pale skin. Luffy was looking back and forth, his eyes wide with awe as he saw a group of giggling girls across the street from him, before he paused to look up at a Billboard that was advertising a new brand of meat that was 'extra tasty and more meaty than ever'. This caused his attention to become focused on it, until the billboard rolled around to begin advertising 'spring fresh and sparkling clean' bathroom floor cleaner. He wasn't entirely sure what they were saying, as he didn't really have any reading skills, but, the pictures looked good! And that meat had looked tasty! Now it was replaced with a bathroom though... who'd wanna eat one of those?

Pouting at this, he moved on and around a corner into a small corner store that was basically empty except for an old man in rags and his dog under an arm. Luffy held a thin piece of paper in his hand, but it was of no use to him as he couldn't read. So he had to rely on what he remembered his grandfather saying. That wasn't too hard, his memory was fairly good.

In another aisle nearby, a young man was pausing to look at certain things on the shelves. Tired eyes were trying to focus on a box of what looked like corn flakes, but he wasn't sure. He growled quietly in agitation, glaring at the offending cereal and wondering why his friend had sent him here. She knew very well he hated doing this sort of thing. He hated going places that were new, and hated going anywhere where there was people; yet she had insisted that he was to go and get the groceries today. So, he had done it. Brushing a hand through his green hair and yawning widely before moving on, he promptly forgot that he was supposed to actually pick up the box.

Luffy walked into the shop and glanced around with wide eyes scanning the shelves, a wide smile crossing his face. This place was so cool with all the food! Running over to the first aisle, his brow knit in confusion as he tried to make out the strange letters on the wrapping of the products lined along the shelves, failing miserably. It was times like now he wished he could do that thing where people understood the squiggly lines on paper like words. Looking down at the scrunched up paper in his hand, he squinted at the words written there his grandfather had written, sighing as he couldn't understand them.

He was hoping he'd be able to match the names with things on the shelves, but even that seemed impossible as his gramps' handwriting was scribbled and didn't seem to look like any of the things around him. Looking up, he sighed as he found everything else just as confusing, this was his first time doing this sort of thing, and he really had no clue as to what he was supposed to do. He'd been here a couple of times with gramps, and been made to wait outside, but this was his fist time alone. Blinking in concern, he turned just in time to see the green haired teen that had been examining the cereal wander by, eyes focused on the ground. He reached forward and latched onto the man's shirt, tugging lightly to try and get his attention.

"Hey mister, can you help me? I don't know what-" but he was cut off as the man turned around abruptly and knocked him away forcefully. Luffy was sent sprawling on the floor and he gulped and cringed as the man glared down at him. Gramps acted like that… and he had been hoping that no one else would, but apparently he was wrong. Muttering a quick apology, he got to his feet and hurried away. He didn't want to be beaten this early in the morning. Not today.

The man looked after the boy as he hurried away, and sighed.

"Damn… why do I have to be so friggin…" he muttered as he slapped a palm into his forehead. He looked after the boy, "Oi!" and he hurried after him. The boy, startled, turned and began to back away, his eyes wide.

"I said I was sorry - I didn't mean to!" Luffy babbled out, cringing in front of the man, who looked down at him with pity.

"Huh? Listen kid, I was just… startled is all." and he stuck his hand in his pocket, the other holding a small shopping basket "What did you want?" and he looked around the shop idly as he waited for the kid to reply. But the boy ducked his head, feeling entirely embarrassed now.

"Um… I don't know how to…" he whispered, sheepishly showing the man the list. The green haired man blinked down at the offered item, hesitant to take it, but then letting out a heavy sigh, he plucked it from the sheepish boy's fingers. Sighing, he mumbled to himself as he read through the list, his eyes occasionally glancing around him out of reflex more than anything. He didn't like being in this place, and it would be better if he just got this done, and then went straight home; home was good.

"Come on…" and he walked casually away, eyes flicking once again to either side of him and shoulders hunched.

Luffy smiled brightly, following after his new friend and feeling a lot better now. This guy was being nice to him! Was helping him! Gramps had never done that. The man dropped his basket and grabbed a trolley, quickly walking down the small row of aisles and grabbing the item listed on the scrap of paper, piling them into it for the boy, moving as quickly as he could but trying to still look casual. Luffy watched in awe as the man dumped things that looked vaguely familiar into the trolley.

"So… what's your name?" Luffy asked, looking him up and down. The green haired teen turned and frowned down at Luffy, one eyebrow raised.

"Do you want my help or not?" he growled. Luffy's smile fell instantly and he bowed his head, muttering another apology. Luffy's new 'friend' let out a miserable sigh. This is why he didn't like people. Well… that and other things.

"Zoro. Ok? Roronoa Zoro." and he continued down the aisle. Luffy smiled a little, but didn't raise his head. The tone that Zoro had just used was the same one that Gramps used when he got annoyed.

"Hi Zoro." Luffy muttered. Zoro found himself wondering what this kid's name was, and soon he couldn't deny the question.

"What's yours?" he half mumbled as he pulled down another box and placed it in the trolley, not meeting the boy's eyes.

"Luffy." he said, looking up and grinning, "Monkey D Luffy." and then he blinked, "Your hair is cool." Zoro started and winced a little. His hair was a bit of a sensitive subject.

"Ah… thanks mist- I mean Luffy." Zoro muttered and then shook his head. He had almost been about to call Luffy, Mister, and the kid surely wasn't older than him. After all, he was nineteen. Damn it, he thought he was out of that habit.

"So do you live around here?" Luffy asked, trotting up beside Zoro. His confidence with Zoro was slowly growing, "I live with my gramps a few blocks away!" and he grinned. Zoro scratched at the back of his neck and took a short step away from Luffy, not comfortable with closeness of someone he didn't know.

"I live… nearby." Zoro replied. He really didn't know how far away he lived, as he had forgotten the route home. That… wasn't good, "…I think" Luffy grinned widely and Zoro jumped at the next outburst.

"Cooool!! Do you live with people!?" Luffy asked, leaning closer to Zoro and getting louder and louder as he grew more excited. Zoro leaned away, the back of his head brushing the shelves behind him.

"Gramps doesn't let me go out with people!" Luffy said, but instead of sounding dismayed or disappointed, he sounded excited, or happy. And he was grinning from ear to ear. Zoro was growing more and more nervous by the noise. He didn't like loud noises... and he liked loud people even less.

"I live with two others…" he replied quickly, gulping slightly and letting his eyes dart all around for any course of a quick exit.

"That's so cool!! Are they your friends?" and he stopped suddenly and started to pant, "Hoooot…" he whined, tugging at the collar of the large jacket he was wearing. He wasn't used to wearing this many layers of clothing indoors.

"Umm… yeah…maybe you should take off those jumpers or something?" he asked. Zoro himself was wearing a sleeveless light blue shirt with the top two buttons undone, and a pair of dark, almost black pants. Luffy grinned almost tiredly, letting his hand fall from his collar to rest against his side. His eyes searched the ground as his bangs fell into them and then he shrugged.

"I'm not allowed. Gramps said I'd be sorry if I did, and he said, even if he's not there, he'd know so…" and he shrugged again, eyes still focused on the black and white tile pattern on the floor, "I'll keep em on." Luffy looked up and then his eyes bugged out as he saw the deli that was across from them.

"Woooooow." and he headed straight for it. Zoro blinked after him, and then narrowed his eyes a little.

_What the hell did that mean? _He thought, as what Luffy had said about his grandfather replayed through his mind. Interest made him follow the boy, and ignore the little warning in his mind that was telling him to go home, and face his housemate, Nami's wrath. Hopefully she wouldn't yell at him, and Sanji, her boyfriend, wouldn't get too annoyed with him.

Zoro ignored the warning in his head and continued after Luffy. Something just… compelled him to stay close, a feeling that this kid actually needed him. Meanwhile, Luffy was drooling at the meat, gazing at all the different types, with his hands pressed against the glass. He turned as Zoro arrived beside him and grinned up at the taller man.

"Is there any meat on the list thingy?" he asked excitedly. Zoro looked down the list and then shook his head.

"No." he replied. Luffy's smile fell, but a small quirk in his lips was left behind as he shrugged.

"Okay then. Is that all the stuff?" and he peered at the back of the paper. Zoro looked down at it again.

"Uh… yeah… but I don't think this is going to cost that much. If you have enough, why don't you buy some ham or something and eat it on the way home?" he suggested, with a shrug.

"Really!?" Luffy cried, once again startling Zoro.

Digging deep into his pockets, Luffy pulled out handfuls of money and put it into Zoro's hands, "Is this enough?" and he blinked hopefully up at Zoro. Who was, to say the least, a little stunned. He sighed, wondering how he had gotten dragged into this. He shouldn't even still be here. Homesickness was starting to take hold, and it was making him more and more wary of his surroundings. Paranoia was a pain in the ass.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's enough." he replied.

Zoro bought a small package of ham, dumping it in the trolley before moving to the cash register. Luffy trotted along behind him, grinning from ear to ear at the fact he'd gotten his ham. Once they reached the cash register, he grabbed Zoro and hugged him tightly. Luffy was apparently a very expressive and joyful boy.

"Thanks Zoro!" he cried.

Zoro jumped and knocked Luffy away, a wild look coming to his eyes. His breathing skyrocketed to the point where he was almost unable to breathe, and then he realized what had happened and he began to relax again. Calming down and letting his breathing return to normal. Luffy looked back up at Zoro, his face one of fear that reflected Zoro's almost exactly. He was so stupid sometimes – gramps always reacted that way and then hit him. He should have known not to do that. Smiling to cover up the awkwardness of the situation, he apologised again and got to his feet, moving over to the food to begin packing it into the bags.

Zoro watches the boy a little sadly. Stupid… he went too far again. He always did that. Feeling entirely guilty and embarrassed now, mumbled an apology. Luffy paused, smiled and shrugged.

"That's okay! Gramps tells me not to do that, but I forgot, so I already knew you'd hit me!" and he returned to packing the bags, humming quietly to himself again. Zoro sighed, feeling more guilty than ever, but he couldn't help it. He wished he didn't do things like that, but after the time he spent in that place … all those years with those people. It had become an automatic reaction.

"I… didn't mean to… it just happens." and he shrugged and turned away, blushing slightly. Luffy didn't hear this, as he turned to the clock and saw the time. Gramps had told him to be back before the big hand went past the twelve!

"Oh no!" he whined, frantically stuffing things into bags, "I'm late!"

Zoro paused a moment before reaching over and helping. It was only three fifteen. Surely the boy couldn't be in that much trouble…?

"He'll understand won't he? I mean, you're not that late. You've only been here a little while." and he packed the last of the groceries into the bag. Luffy shook his head, eyes clenched tightly closed before he grabbed the bags and ran out of the store, leaving Zoro with the last of the money.

"Thanks Zoro! Bye!" was heard and Zoro blinked before handing over the money to the rather grouchy looking cashier. Giving the man a good glare back, he ran out after Luffy to see the boy standing on the sidewalk, looking around frantically.

"Where was home!?" Luffy whined in a worried way. He spotted a man standing on the corner of the street, arms folded and leaning against the wall. Racing over to him, Luffy bounced on the balls of his feet.

"Hey mister, do you know where my home is? I can't find it!" Luffy panicked, looking around wildly. He was gonna be in soooo much trouble when he got home. Not to mention he was gonna get such a beating! Zoro ran after him anxiously.

"Oi Luffy!" he yelled, but the boy was talking to some random on the street and was twitching nervously all over the place. The nasty looking man smirked down at Luffy.

"Kid, I really don't give a damn." he replied before taking a long drag on the cigarette in the corner of his mouth. Luffy twitched. Shifting the bags in his arms, he looked around some more.

"Please mister! I've got to get home!" he cried and looked up into the man's face pleadingly. Jogging to Luffy's side, Zoro looked down at him.

"Don't you have any idea where you live?" he asked, ignoring the man standing near him. Ignoring people was easier, and tended to cause less problems. The nasty looking man frowned and threw his cigarette down, stamping on it angrily. Zoro looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. The only person who ever looked intimidating while doing that, was Sanji and he was at home.

"Damnit! I don't care, now, leave me the hell alone!" he snapped. Once again, he was ignored.

"It's in the red building on the fourth floor! Door number … 38 I think!" Luffy replied, whining in the back of his throat. Zoro looked around, still ignoring the man who seemed to be getting quite angry with simply their presence.

"I said, fuck. Off!" he yelled, "Get the hell off my street you two bastards!" and he moved to hit Luffy, but instead found his arm blocked by Zoro, and two nasty green eyes staring straight at him.

"Don't," Zoro growled, finding this attempt at hitting Luffy most offensive, "bloody hit people who didn't do a damn thing to you." and he kicked out, using one of the kicks that Sanji had taught him for self defence. The man was knocked backwards and he gasped for air. Luffy meanwhile, had backed away from the whole confrontation, not meaning to make the man mad. And then he spotted the meat billboard and gasped. It must have been that way! He bolted, running as fast as he could in that direction. Zoro glared down at the man before looking around and spotting his quarry darting around a corner.

"Luffy!" he yelled and followed. Skidding to a stop at the billboard, Luffy looked down the street and spotted the homeless man he had seen while walking here in the first place.

"Home has to be this way!" he cried with an excited yelp and bolted in that direction. Zoro had no idea why he was following Luffy, but he paused by the billboard without anything in sight. Luffy was gone… and Zoro was lost. He paused a moment and looked around him.

"Damn." he cursed, stuffing his hands in his pockets and then feeling a familiar helplessness that he hated, overshadowing him.

Hunching his shoulders, Zoro walked forward, hoping he would be able to find Luffy again. At least Luffy would be able to lead him back to the shopping centre… and he could get home from there. Or he could just wander around until he found his way home. That was the way it usually worked for him. He didn't have best direction and whenever he _did_ go out, he tended to get lost, but after while of wandering, managed to somehow find his own way home. Sighing once more, he set off, hands stuffed in his pockets, wondering whether he might find Luffy, or his home first. Looking up at the tall buildings he narrowed his eyes in thought. Maybe he'd be able to see his house from up there.

Luffy by now had found his way home, and he stopped outside the building, panting for breath. Once he had regained it a little, he opened the door and bolted inside, bounding up the stairs. He opened the door to the apartment and looked around.

"Gramps! I'm home!" he called, still panting from his run. He slammed the door shut behind him with a foot and then turned back to find his grandfather Garp, stalking into the room and looking livid.

"What the hell took you so long!?" he growled, glaring down at Luffy, who bowed his head.

"I got lost." he muttered before looking up and smiling, "But this really nice guy helped me out! He took me around the shop and-" Luffy was cut off as Garp hit him around the face.

"I told you not to speak to anyone!" he growled angrily, but a hint of a sadistic smile was at his lips.

"But… I didn't know what to get…" he defended weakly.

"That's because you're a dumb ass! No excuse!" Garp yelled, and slapped him across the other cheek. Luffy didn't make a sound, but rolled with the hit, "Now go and get that stuff into the kitchen, and don't eat anything!" Luffy rubbed at his reddening face, and in a moment of almost pleading, said,

"But Zoro said I could get myself some meat with the change and-" this time, Luffy didn't get slapped. He was slammed against a wall by his throat and then thrown to the ground and stamped on. Garp glared down at him until Luffy finally stood, rubbing at his red face and then hurrying into the kitchen after picking up the spilled bags. Garp watched as Luffy walked past him before following and punched the kid as he walked past. Apart from letting out a short squeak, Luffy didn't do, or say anything more. He should have known better than to talk to someone. Especially someone as nice as Zoro...

Outside, standing on the highest floor of the apartment block opposite to Luffy's, stood Zoro. He winced heavily as he saw Luffy get knocked around. He could see through the fourth floor window easily from this distance, and he had to wonder why Luffy didn't fight back. But then… he hadn't fought back either. Shaking his head, Zoro turned away. There was nothing he could do, nothing he could accomplish there. All he would do was cause trouble, something he excelled at.

---

It wasn't until a few weeks later that Zoro saw Luffy again, and the spot he saw him at was as unlikely a place as he could think of. Nami and Sanji had wanted to go out for a while, and Zoro, not wanting to stay home alone (but never admitting it) had tagged along. It was about five in the afternoon, and he really wasn't sure that he wanted to go into the pub, but, Nami had assured him that they wouldn't be there long. So there he was. Zoro had his hands stuffed into his pockets, and was keeping a fair distance from the other two, while still trying to stay close enough that he didn't get lost. Sanji glanced over his shoulder at him, but Zoro's eyes were focused on the ground.

"Remember Marimo, you have to go shopping again tomorrow. Try not to forget this time." the tall, blonde haired man snorted to show that he was half serious, but half teasing at the same time. Zoro's head snapped up and he glared at Sanji before mumbling a curse under his breath. He'd learned a lot of colourful curses after staying with Sanji and Nami. Not that Nami swore that often, but Sanji did… a lot. The red headed girl looked between the two of them, before sighing and shaking her head.

"You had better not get drunk in there, I'm not dragging your asses out at the end of the night." she commented. Zoro frowned at her.

"I don't get drunk." he replied, lightly offended. Nami glanced at him and shrugged.

"Of course Nami-swaaan!" Sanji cooed and Nami sent him a half smile, half exasperated look. Zoro didn't see Luffy sitting outside the entrance, the same straw hat he'd been wearing the last time he'd seen him, drawn down over his eyes and soft snores emanating from his slightly open mouth. He was leaning against the wall and looked perfectly happy to just sit there and sleep. Zoro glanced to his right as he Nami and Sanji stepped up the short step into the entrance. Pausing, he looked down at Luffy and blinked.

"Err… Luffy?" he asked. Luffy didn't respond, and instead let out a loud snore. Nami paused upon noticing that Zoro wasn't following. Sanji stopped behind her and the two of them looked over at Zoro, who was still watching Luffy.

"Hey, are you coming?" she asked. Zoro didn't look back at her, his eyes purely focused on Luffy's inert form.

"I-in a minute." Zoro replied, waving a hand at her. Moving down the steps, Zoro circled around Luffy to his other side, and bent in close to get a good look at the boy's face. Sanji looked at Nami, who shrugged, and then he too moved down the step again to look at the boy Zoro seemed so interested in.

"You know him moss-head?" Sanji asked, watching Zoro carefully. Zoro looked up at him and nodded, letting the insult slide over his head.

"Yeah. I met him the other day." and he leaned even closer to Luffy's face, inspecting it to see if he could see any marks, but all he could see was a faint bruise that was covered by heavy foundation. Nami put a hand on her hip as she waited and watched.

"Whoa…" Zoro murmured upon seeing that there were more bruises than he had originally thought, and they were all buried under deep makeup. Vaguely, he wondered if Luffy had been forced to do this, or if he had done it of his own free will. Either way, it was weird.

"What?" Sanji asked as he glanced at Luffy before a wide smirk came to his face, "Didn't think you'd swing that way…" and he chuckled when Zoro blinked at him and then jerked away from Luffy's face.

"Shut the hell up you asshole… I was checking to see if he was dead… or asleep." Zoro defended, his cheeks faintly red. Really, he didn't want to say anything about what he had seen at Luffy's the other day, because he wasn't entirely sure that Luffy wanted that secret revealed. Secrets were to be kept secret… not to be blabbed about to just anyone.

"Nge?" Luffy noised as he blinked awake at the noise the two men were making. He could normally sleep through that kind of thing, but oddly, he'd fallen into one of his lighter sleeps that day. He looked blearily upwards until he finally saw Zoro, and then a tired smile came to his face, "It's you! Zoro! Hi!" and he grinned widely. Zoro raised an eyebrow at this statement before looking at the pub and then back at Luffy again.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" he asked.

Sanji was silent as he watched Luffy, and he was also listening to how Zoro was talking. It seemed as if… Marimo was perfectly normal. Nothing was wrong. He glanced at the man's face and was a little startled to see the hardness that usually swirled within those features, gone. Nami had finally had enough. It was late in the afternoon, they were tired, and she desperately wanted a drink after a hard day.

"Zoro. Are you coming in?" she asked, a little impatiently. Zoro looked up at her and shook his head and Nami pulled out a few twenty dollar notes from her pocket and handed them to him, "If you're not, then go and do whatever. But be careful, okay?" she cautioned. Zoro nodded, taking the notes from her and stuffing them in his pocket.

"Sanji!" Nami barked and the blonde turned to look at her, "Are you coming? Or are you going to stay there and make out with Zoro?" Sanji and Zoro both blanched and turned faintly green. Scooting over to Nami's side, Sanji blinked up at her like a little puppy dog.

"I would never do that Nami-swan!" he cooed, pouting at the same time. Luffy had watched all this go on, and then he had remembered that Zoro had asked him a question.

"Oh, Gramps is inside." Luffy replied. Zoro blinked down at him before nodding. Nami smiled at Zoro and then turned to Sanji with a wink.

"I know." she replied and walked in, Sanji trailing behind her like a little lost dog.

"He's… your grandfather?" Zoro asked, the very idea making him more than a little sick. How could your own family member do that to you!? That was… well… disgusting! But, Luffy didn't seem too unhappy about it. Either that or he was hiding it. Luffy was nodding enthusiastically.

"He says I have to stay outside because I'm too dumb to go inside." Luffy explained and stretched, groaning a little at the motion and the pain it caused. He looked up at the sky and smiled a little wistfully, "Don't worry though. He usually comes out before midnight." and he chuckled. Zoro blinked and then frowned, sitting down beside Luffy, but keeping a good distance between them. He wasn't going to get any closer to anyone than he had to.

"Really? Why does he treat you that way?" Zoro asked quietly. Luffy blinked and put a finger to his chin in thought.

"Because… I do things wrong." he replied thoughtfully. Zoro pushed his own memories to the back of his mind and shook his head a little.

"What do you do wrong?" he asked, and Luffy began counting off on his fingers as he listed what he had done wrong, or at least, what his grandfather had thought he had done wrong.

"I break things, and I'm clumsy. I'm too stupid. I annoy everybody. I'm too loud, I get in the way, I'm good for nothing…" and he thought for a few more seconds before nodding and smiling, "That's it… there's more, but I can't think of it right now." and he shrugged. Zoro frowned at the comments.

_This 'grandfather' sounds just plain cruel. _Zoro thought a little savagely, "So, why won't he be out before midnight?" and Zoro had the sudden desire to simply punch the guy's lights out. It seemed cruel to be this mean to someone like Luffy, and Luffy seemed like such a nice guy. Admittedly, he was a little annoying, but then, so was Zoro, so… But Luffy seemed to hide behind happiness, and naiveté, while Zoro hid behind grumpiness and anger. It may not have been intentional, but they did. Strange… Luffy grinned and shrugged, looking at Zoro with amusement twinkling in his big eyes.

"I don't know! Depends on how quick gramps gets drunk!" and he laughed. Zoro snorted and then eyed Luffy carefully. If there weren't too many people… maybe he could take Luffy on a little adventure. Just for today. Nami wouldn't mind, surely. She'd be happy he went out on his own. So…

"Well, why don't we go and get something to eat… or… I don't know, something?" he asked a little timidly. Luffy's eyes widened.

"Food?" he noised brightly before his grin faltered, "Um, Gramps said I have to stay here…" and he pouted and laid a hand on his stomach as it gave a loud growl of hunger. Zoro smirked at that.

"Well… as long as we're back by ten tonight, you should be okay, right?" he suggested. Luffy grinned widely and nodded, jumping to his feet and catching Zoro's hand, easily pulling the older boy up with him. Zoro blinked at the sudden enthusiasm and looked down at Luffy's hand clasped around his, refraining from simply jerking his hand away from Luffy again. He tilted his head a little at the thin fingers and almost spider like hand. Kinda like Sanji's… but Sanji's were thick, and his hands were wiry and strong. Luffy's seemed soft, spidery and didn't seem like they would pose much of a threat when clenched into a fist. Actually, Luffy himself didn't look like he would pose much of a threat at all...

"There's lots of food at home and Gramps sometimes let's me watch tv, there's this really cool show and…" and he blabbered on and on about going home, but Zoro had actually meant for them to go into the main part of town. Luffy honestly didn't understand what Zoro had meant, as the farthest he'd ever been was the corner store where they had met. Other than that, Luffy had been basically confined to his home. Garp often brought Luffy to the pub, but Luffy had been told to stay outside, so he had. And while waiting, he always fell asleep, but he had to be awake and ready to leave when Garp got out at whatever time he left. Luffy had learned far too many times what happened when he didn't obey his grandfather.

Zoro felt himself being pulled along as Luffy made his way towards home, but then dug his heels in and stopped them both.

"Umm… I meant, go into town… not go to your home." he explained. Luffy paused and blinked in confusion.

"But… I can't go into town! I'm too dumb!" Luffy reasoned, waving his arms a little wildly and letting go of Zoro's wrist. Zoro raised an eyebrow and stuck his hands in his pockets, as was his habit whenever he became slightly nervous.

"What's being dumb got to do with going somewhere and eating?" Zoro asked and shrugged, "Come on." and he began to walk away. Luffy blinked after Zoro, glancing back at the pub a little uncertainly before he grinned and followed. The worst Garp could do to him was beat him… and Luffy could take that.

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**Clarobell: Well, there's chapter one over and done with. So what did you think? Are you confused? Curious? Let us know! **

**Plushie: And we'll try to explain any problems you had to the best of our abilities! Thanks for taking the time to read, and we look forward to hearing from you all! -bows-**


	2. Life's a circus

**AUTHORS NOTES. PLZ READ.**

**Plushie: Okay guys, all I really have to say is make sure you don't attempt to try and... judge a chapter by it's beginning. Or a story if you will. After all, the beginning of Lord of the Rings isnt exactly fantastic now, is it? It's just a beginning, so please, if you are confused just keep reading and most things will be explained. And if they aren't in _that _chapter, then they probably will be in the next. That's how we've set it up, as a mystery, ne? Okay, THANKYOU to everyone who reviewed and don't forget to acknowledge Clarobell because I wrote it up... SHE stopped it from sucking monkey butt, ne? **

**Clarobell: MONKEY BUTT! WOO! Thanks so much for all the lovely comments made by reviewers of the last chapter! Some of you were concerned that we played on Luffy's 'dumbness', but I assure you, there is a reason for it. You might get a better look why in this chapter. Also, please could you take the time with each new chapter to make sure to read the authors notes, as we'll be answering any questions people have or things that may have confused readers. A big thank you to all those who acknowledged my existence too! It's always nice when reviewers thank both writers for their efforts.**

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--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 2: Life's a Circus**_

The walk to the town centre wasn't very long, but Zoro couldn't help but smile at the excited look on Luffy's face. To him, the town was new and exciting; to Zoro, it wasn't anything fantastic at all, in fact, it was a place he'd rather avoid, but, if he wanted to get over this, he would have to face it. Luffy was bouncing beside him excitedly, and the excitement was slowly setting Zoro's mind at ease just a little. This kid wasn't nervous, so why should he be? Glancing the boy's way, he wondered what Luffy was even excited about, surely he'd been to the town centre before? He lived closer to it than he did after all. Smiling some more, Zoro stuck his hands into his pockets and focused most of his attention on watching his new friend from the corner of his eye.

"You know… you bounce too much and you'll fly off to cloud nine." he commented quietly. Luffy gasped and looked up at Zoro, his eyes impossibly wide with curiosity... and a little bit of fear. Basically, Luffy thought Zoro was being serious.

"Really!?" he squeaked.

Holding back his laughter and making sure to keep a serious face, Zoro nodded. This kid was either playing his game... or was being dumb. Zoro had a feeling it was the latter.

"Oh yeah… it's been known to happen." he replied, his voice still low as he glanced around him. Luffy's jaw dropped open and he stared at the sky before turning back to Zoro again.

"Is it nice on cloud nine?" he asked, sounding almost like he wished he could go there. Zoro shrugged and smirked a little, but he kind of understood the longing in Luffy's voice. He wondered why the boy would ask such a question. Didn't he realise he was joking? Then again, it might be nice to just float around up there. He'd like to just go to cloud nine and forget all his troubles. Might be nice, never know.

"Wouldn't know… never been there myself." he replied, looking up at the sky with Luffy for a few moments before a nearby car horn honked and brought them out of their reverie. Luffy whined a little and stopped bouncing, pouting forcefully. Floating away sounded fun, but then how would he get back down? Then he'd be late back to the pub and Gramps would be mad. Sighing he gazed once more at the sky; he would have liked to know if cloud nine was real. Surely it would have been. It sounded nice, and the clouds were so fluffy and pretty. He wondered which one was cloud nine… He was contemplating counting the clouds in the sky above when Zoro snorted and began chuckling to himself, shaking his head and trying to stop himself.

"What's so funny?" Luffy asked, tilting his head and feeling a bit annoyed, "I don't want to fly away!" and he flapped his arms as if to emphasize that point. Zoro shook his head and sighed, looking down at Luffy from the corners of his eyes while he continued to smile.

"Nothing…" and he gave a short laugh which he covered with a cough, before turning to look down at Luffy, "Don't worry, you won't fly away."

Luffy blinked, confusion taking over. Had what Zoro said been true? Or... was it something Zoro believed in? Gramps said lost of people had stupid beliefs … was that Zoro's? Had he reconsidered wanting Luffy to know about it? What was it!? Ahh... now his head was hurting!

"But! You said…!" he whined.

Zoro sighed, any trace of laughter, or of a smile fading quickly. This kid really was naïve… and maybe a little more than just dumb. Still, Zoro wouldn't say that. It sounded like he'd had too much of that from the 'grandfather'.

"I was only kidding. There's no such thing as cloud nine, and you couldn't get there even if it did exist! Gravity keeps your ass on the ground, kid." he replied. Yeah… he had to stop listening to Sanji. Swearing was becoming a permanent part of his vocabulary. Luffy blinked dolefully up at him before falling quiet and letting his hat fall forward a little to shadow his eyes. His hands clenched into fists and he frowned deeply, every part of his body language conveying anger and Zoro had to blink. What the…?

"What?" he asked and didn't expect the response he got.

"I don't like damn, stupid, pain in the ass liars!" Luffy snapped angrily, glaring at him with narrowed eyes. Zoro flinched slightly, but covered it up by raising a hand to rub at his face. He was lost. He hadn't been lying… It was a joke!

"I wasn't lying." he defended and then sighed, "Ever heard of a joke?" Luffy's anger seemed to relax a little as he blinked and shook his head, having no idea what one of these... joke things, were. Did they make you look silly? Or angry? Or maybe... were they some type of food? Ooh, if it was a food, and it was good, then Luffy was willing to forgive Zoro for what he had said! But... it didn't look like there was any food, so the boy's expression fell again.

Zoro was surprised, to say the least about Luffy's response. It seemed he honestly had no clue what the green haired man was on about. This kid really hadn't been around, had he? And what was up with the change in attitude? One minute he was happy as can be and then … what did he say so wrong to earn a glare like that?

"Really??" he asked, still shocked. Luffy shook his head again. Wow... Now… if he could only remember the explanation that Nami had used on him. How did it go again…? Zoro scratched his head as he thought but only bits and pieces came back to him and he frowned a little angrily.

"Well, umm… I guess you could say a joke is a lie that's supposed to make you laugh. It's not really a lie… it's just, well, it's supposed to make you laugh. A lie is when someone says something in order to hurt you. But a joke is supposed to make you feel happy." and he felt a little proud at his explanation. It wasn't Nami's, it was his own and it felt good to be able to explain something without getting frustrated. Luffy blinked and frowned a little. He understood... he understood that what Zoro had said, made him feel... weird.

"But your joke didn't make me feel happy at all! It scared me and made me feel bad and kind of scared, and feeling bad is hurting…" he tilted his head in confusion, "So, that was a lie, right?"

Zoro blanched at the fact that Luffy had said _your joke_ and not, _the _joke, or _that_ joke. It hurt, and he felt stupid for letting something so petty affect him but then, Luffy was hurt too, so… maybe it would be best to apologize? No… he would try to explain this first.

He wanted Luffy to understand.

"Err…" he noised intelligently, his brain working against him. He was getting nervous now, and he'd hoped to avoid that, "No. Because you weren't supposed to believe you could actually float away. Because you can't." his mind screamed 'lame!' at him, but he ignored it.

"Why not?" Luffy asked. By now, Zoro's hands in his pockets were starting to shake a little. He wasn't used to being asked all these questions. Nami didn't ask him this many questions, neither did Sanji. He liked being left alone. Left to reply to the few questions Nami and Sanji _did _ask. Right now he felt as if he was put under a spot light. Luffy was staring at him blankly, waiting for an answer. He knew he shouldn't, but he still felt pressured. And it made him nervous.

"Be-because gravity keeps you down." he replied, a slight stutter and annoyed tint to his voice only making him angrier. How was he going to get out of this? Luffy was shooting down every answer he had!

"What's gravity?" Luffy asked his eyes suddenly widening and gaining a bit of a sparkle of wonder to them as he waited for Zoro's answer excitedly. This gravity thing sounded cool!

Zoro glanced down at him before shrugging and looking away again, trying to get a hold on his frustration, which was leading into nervousness, which quickly changed into fear, and fear made him want to run. Running right now, wasn't good; and damn it, Sanji had wanted him to start striking out on his own, going places alone, and what cheese head said... was probably right, (annoying as it was). He did need to get out more... but still...

"Gravity is…erm…" He knew what gravity was, but his increasing discomfort was making it hard for him to think, and even harder for him to _say_ what he was thinking, "It's like a force that stops you from floating away… It… keeps your feet on the ground." and he sighed. That had been harder than he had thought. Luffy blinked for a second and then grinned.

"Okay!" His grandfather's words were echoing in his head again, telling him that he wasn't supposed to ask questions. Zoro's tension level dropped and he sighed deeply. Thank goodness for that. While they had been walking, the two hadn't even noticed that they were following a small trickle of people that were heading into a gigantic multi-coloured tent. Zoro paused as he saw it. It looked crowded in there.

"Wow… what-" but Luffy stopped as he remembered his Gramps again and smiled a little half-heartedly, "Um… that looks nice!" and he sighed. He wanted to know what it was. It looked so cool, and the colours and people squealing in front of them excitedly. It all looked so amazing! Zoro raised an eyebrow at the hesitant comment, glancing around in annoyance as people made loud 'squees' of excitement and ran past. This place was a little more... erm... crowded than it had originally appeared. Not to mention that Zoro hadn't even _planned _on coming here anyway! Actually... that left turn back there was probably the direction he _should _have taken. Looking back down at Luffy again, he narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Do you even know what it is?" he asked, wondering if Luffy's naiveté stretched this far.

"No." Luffy replied. Apparently it did. Zoro couldn't stop himself, he had to chuckle. This kid was funny. Luffy looked up at him and tilted his head before smiling a little. It was nice seeing Zoro laugh. He wondered why the older man didn't do it more often.

"You know, you can ask questions. It's not against the rules." Zoro said, not realizing that Luffy had (for most of his life) been forbidden from asking questions, "It's a circus." Luffy shook his head while grinning.

"Gramps said I'm too stupid to understand the answers, so I shouldn't ask questions. I remembered cos I didn't know what the gravity thing was!" and he nodded before looking back to the commotion in front of him, "A circus? Woooow…" while they had been talking, both sets of feet had unconsciously come to a standstill. Zoro didn't want to go near the people, and Luffy wasn't sure if he was allowed.

"Oh…" Zoro noised, _That's so cruel…_ and then Zoro made a massive decision, well, massive for _him_ anyway "So…" and he took a deep breath, pushing his paranoia to the back of his mind, "There's lots of animals and things to see there, do you wanna go?" Luffy looked up at Zoro with wide eyes.

"Can we?" and Zoro shrugged and smiled.

"Sure."

"Yahoo!" Luffy cried, totally psyched for his adventure… but then he made a bad mistake. Grabbing Zoro around the wrist, Luffy began pulling the older teen towards the circus. Fear ripped through Zoro's mind and his eyes widened impossibly. He tugged experimentally, trying to get Luffy to release him, but was jerked forward.

"Ah!" Zoro cried as he was pulled along, heels digging into the muddy grass beneath him. Certain memories rose in his mind and surrounded him like a whirlwind, blocking out everything else and making him relive those horrible moments where he had been dragged down that corridor to the door that promised so much pain.

"Let me go!" he yelled, struggling desperately, but the memories were making him feel like a little kid again, and his strength wasn't even half of what it usually was. Luffy, not realizing what was going on behind him, just tugged harder.

"No! Come on Zoro!" and he latched onto the teen's wrist with his other hand and pulled, "I wanna see the big animal with the long nose!" and he continued tugging. Zoro shook his head, his eyes wide. He was scared damn it! What did Luffy think he was doing!? He was making the situation worse! Grabbing his forearm with his other hand, he tugged.

"Let me go!" He yelled again as he ripped his hand out of Luffy's, but suddenly Luffy wasn't even there anymore. Nobody was except that face. That horrible face. The pain in his back... the increased beating of his heart and the sound of a whip-crack that echoed in his ears with every step he took. He ran, shoving people out of his way as he bolted through the crowds. Luffy was left standing alone... standing in the middle of a crowd of people who couldn't have cared less about him, than they did about the dirt on their shoes.

"Zoro?" he mumbled before the people, and the noise began to make him feel scared. He wasn't usually one to get scared easily; he'd been taught early not to whine or cry at silly things, but standing alone in the middle of the shoving people made him breathe a little quicker, and made a funny feeling, a _bad_ feeling, rise up in his stomach.

"Z-Zoro?" he stuttered and whined in the back of his throat, backing away from all the people staring at him, pointing in his direction and whispering nasty things behind their hands. Twisting, Luffy made to run back towards the pub but, he turned the wrong way and ran. He ran for all he was worth, but he ran deeper into the circus area instead of out of it.

Zoro continued running also, people crying out in offended squeaks as he shoved them away and pushed his way further and further into the circus. His breathing was coming in sharp, and quick gasps but he kept going. Just get away… just get away…. Standing amongst the crowd and dressed nicely for the occasion, was a woman who was much older than she looked. She was wearing a cowboy hat, and had ruby red lips and heavily made up eyes.

She was wearing a tight shirt with the words 'Pain is pleasure' on it, and a pair of tight jeans. Around her waist was a heavy black belt with sharp studded diamonds all around it and a heavy metal buckle. She turned as she heard a shout and spotted a green head coming in her general direction. A smirk came to her face. There was only one person in this town with green hair, and she could remember how much… _fun _she'd had with him when he was a little boy. Zoro didn't even notice her, and she held out a strong arm. Not seeing it, Zoro ran straight into it, the arm catching him around the neck and knocking him onto his back. He coughed and gasped for breath, eyes tightly closed.

"Well, well Zoro, long time no see." a soft, though menacing voice said and Zoro's eyes shot open, pupils dilating with fear. He knew that voice... it echoed in his head all the time. Usually when he least expected it. What-What was _she_ doing here? A cold shiver ran through him as he slowly looked up and saw that face… the very face he had been trying to get away from, looking down at him now. Alvida was her name… and she bent down to look into his eyes, a nasty smile on her lips.

"Did'ya miss me boy?" she asked softly, slowly reaching out a hand and touching his cheek with delicate fingers. Zoro couldn't move, he was frozen to the spot with fear and his breath seemed to have caught in his throat. NO ONE... in the world... scared him as much as _she _did. For what she had done to him... eighteen years... with HER!

"A-Alvida…" he whispered, trembling violently, as his fingers dug into the dirt beneath him. Slowly, he began moving backwards which only caused Alvida to cackle loudly.

"Looks like you do remember me…" and she leant away from him enough so she could finger her belt and smirk at him, "You remember this?" Frightened green eyes slowly made their way to the belt. Small and lethal points glinting dangerously in the quickly waning sunlight. Deep in his mind, he could see blood dripping from those points, and that was the final straw for Zoro. He scrambled to his feet, falling over in his panic a few times before trying to bolt for the crowd, but Alvida, while laughing outrageously, reached out a lazy hand and grabbed onto his Haramaki before he went anywhere. Zoro was jerked off of his feet and dropped back down beside Alvida. Were this any other person, he could have overpowered them easily. Alvida was strong, but she wasn't _that_ strong, but after so many years of torment both physical and mental, Zoro found he could not stand up to her at all, and all his strength seemed sapped when faced against her.

"Still a weak little boy, eh?" she said and looked around. Seeing no other people in the area and glancing at the clock she smirked. The main attraction was starting soon in the big tent and everybody would be heading there. Smirking wider, she leaned down towards him again while Zoro shook with pure fear, covering his head with his arms and curling into a ball. Soon the pain would come; the one that ripped through his back, and down the backs of his legs. He didn't _want _it to come, but it was inevitable...

"Maybe you need another punishment… Don't you think? Or... can you read now? Or write?" she whispered, waiting a few seconds for the answer she knew wouldn't come before chuckling, "Didn't think so... never mind it makes no difference to me. I've just been missing my favourite toy." and she laughed softly as she caressed his exposed throat with a sharp tipped fingernails. A strangled whimper escaped Zoro's lips as he cringed and covered his head with his hands, curling in on himself and shaking violently. Cackling as she began undoing the belt around her waist, Alvida hooked a foot under one of Zoro's arms, tugging him around and putting him in a position where she could strike without being seen.

Quivering on the ground, the poor teen could do nothing more than wait, and hope, that something would stop this. But he knew nothing would... it never had... never would. But, Zoro's saviour did come, and even more strangely it was in the form of a fuzzy little reindeer who had been watching from nearby inside his confinement. Chopper was one of the Circus's star attractions; a performing reindeer with phenomenally high intelligence for an animal. He was known for displaying emotions, and understanding of situations, particularly involving those close to him; a truly amazing creature. Angered by the display that was taking place before him, the little reindeer charged against the door to his holding carriage, ramming his horns against them several times before finally they burst open. Snorting, he tilted his head forward and ran over to where Zoro and Alvida were.

The small reindeer rammed his horns into Alvida's side and sent her flying into the nearby park pond where she surfaced moments later, mascara running and an angry look on her face before she grabbed her hat and glared at Chopper, who snorted and stamped a foot dangerously. Not wanting to deal with an animal that looked as dangerous as Chopper did at that moment, she stomped off, screeching at people to get out of her way or they would die while the soft clinking of the half undone belt, faded.

Once she was gone, Chopper trotted to Zoro's side and bent his head down near to the still quaking teen. Sniffing softly at the human before him, the reindeer's ears fell as he was a little unnerved by the way Zoro was shaking. Zoro made no reply, thinking he was still under threat. Grimacing, Chopper crouched and crawled forward, butting his head under the teen's chest, slowly hefting Zoro onto his back, which wasn't an easy task. Shouts echoed back to him, and Chopper's eyes widened, as he sniffed the air cautiously. It was almost time for him to go out to the act, but he couldn't leave the poor hurt human here! The other humans would only hurt him more! No, sometimes, the show had to come second. Sniffing the air again he snorted slightly as the human scents grew stronger.

People had noticed something was happening and soon this area would be swamped with humans. Turning, Chopper began cantering away from the scene, taking Zoro away from it all. But the poor teen, in his current state of mind, thought he was being taken to that room, where all the punishment devices were, most of them still stained with his blood. His fear became too much, and in a short sigh, he passed out. The reindeer noticed, and snorted in worry, but kept running.

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**Plushie: Basically, don't forget to review please. :D and I'd probably say the same thing as Clarobell says below me. Don't forget to acknowledge the little muffin now!! Thankyou!!**

**Clarobell: I is a muffin! So Chopper and Usopp have entered the fray! And what was up with Zoro's reaction to Alvida? I bet you're curious now! Feel free to ask any questions and we'll answer as best we can! We also reply to all signed reviews, or anonymous with email addresses; however have neither the time nor patience, to write down a reply to anonymous reviewers here - apologies for that! Chapters will be up weekly, each Saturday, and sometimes you may even get a double chapter week, where another will be up on Thursday, but those are reserved for the especially evil chapters left in cliff hangers! Please don't forget to review!**


	3. Murderer

**Plushie: Well guys, thanks for all the reviews and hope you are ready for another chapter! Should be awesome this one!! -nods- ENJOY:)**

**Clarobell: Blah! Bah blah blah blah blah! Blah blah blah! Mrahahahahahahahhahaha!!! -cough- Well, thanks for all of the review for the last chapter! Hehe…here's chapter 3!**

**ALSO!!! A note to let you know, for the now the rating has been bumped down, simply because we are a long way off the real 'M' stuff. It'll be bumped back up when we're closer, okay?**

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--_**Dramatic **__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1: **__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 3: Murderer**_

Luffy wandered around the circus grounds, totally lost. His own fear had calmed after getting away from the massive crowd of people and now he was just trying to find a way out of this place. That task was proving difficult. Turning on the spot, Luffy grinned as he spotted a man standing in a dark alleyway. He looked cool! And nice! Hey… maybe he could help! Running over, Luffy peered up into the pale and bony face of the man, totally ignoring the way those slightly sunken eyes turned to him with a slow grace that would have sent most people crying to their mothers.

"Hey mister? Where am I? Do you know where I live? I lost my friend and now _I'm _lost." Luffy said, whining a little. The man sneered, glasses flashing as he looked down at the boy.

"Help you?" he asked. Luffy nodded enthusiastically and the man leant away from him and watched him carefully before forcing a smile to his face, "Of course I can. Come with me, and we'll find your… friend." he replied in the kindest voice he could muster. This would be easy. No problem! This kid wouldn't be much of a struggle, and it would satisfy that blood lust inside him… for now.

"Thanks mister!" Luffy cried happily. People were nice in this place! He followed after the man as he began walking away. Chuckling to himself, the man thought, _Idiot boy._

"No problem." he replied softly in a voice that hinted it was well worth the effort, if he was going to get something out of it.

Entertaining a group of kids nearby with a story about a man that could stretch like rubber, was a young boy of the circus. He had curly hair and a long nose, and currently, his eyes were focused on the man standing in the alley. What worried him more, was when a young boy ran up to him and began talking to him excitedly.

"I'll tell you the story again later!" he said, running away from the small children so captivated by his tale. They whined loudly but he ignored them as he ran over to the boy and grabbed him around the shoulders.

"Hello there!" he cried happily, "Damn it little brother, where have you been? You were supposed to meet me by the monkeys an hour ago!" and he slapped a hand over Luffy's mouth to keep him quiet and grinned widely at the man before him, "Sorry about that. He gets lost easy and wanders off. Thanks for finding him!" and he began to pull Luffy away from the scene.

The man fixed them with a penetrating and cold stare. Blinking, Luffy didn't really fight back against the hand and waved at the man as he was dragged away. Frowning, the man adjusted his glasses with the heel of his hand, before slinking back into the shadows again. He had a new target now, and he was sure the long nosed boy wouldn't survive much longer either. Not if he had anything to do about it. Sighing heavily once they were out of range, long nose let go of Luffy and glared at him.

"What the hell were you doing?" he asked, scanning Luffy with his eyes to make sure nothing had already happened.

"I was asking that guy for help." and Luffy pouted, "He was gonna help me find Zoro!" and he crossed his arms like a little kid who had been denied their favourite sweet. Sighing again, long nose shook his head.

"No he wasn't! Haven't you ever heard of him?" he asked, a little incredulous. Luffy shook his head, dropping his arms again and listening to what long nose had to say with wide eyes, and a keen interest.

"He's Klahadore Kuro. He's a murderer! He was going to take you into one of those alleyways and kill you!" he explained before a smug smile came to his face, "He was supposed to be convicted of murder 8 times already, but he has guys that help him everywhere! When he was arrested, the people in the jury were slowly being killed off and replaced until finally they were all so scared, they declared him innocent!"

"Wow, really?!" Luffy cried with wide eyes. He didn't know what a murderer was, or what a jury was, but he _did_ know what being killed was and this guy made the other stuff sound really important, so it must be cool!

"Yeah really, he was gonna take you and kill you there!" the longnose cried dramatically before clearing his throat and adding in a deeper voice "And Usopp-sama saved you."

Luffy missed the end part and looked a little confused.

"But why?" he asked, confused as hell as to why someone would want to take him away and kill him. Gramps always threatened... but never did. And he had always said that Luffy was a worthless pile of shit that no one else wanted, and that's why he was stuck with him.

"Because that's what he does." and he pointed to his own head, "There's something wrong upstairs, and he thinks killing is a good thing when it's actually bad! So, if you see him again, don't go near him. Ok?" Luffy grinned widely.

"Ok! Thanks Mister!" and he turned to walk in a random direction, hoping it would lead him to either Zoro, or the pub. Usopp rolled his eyes and grabbed Luffy's arm, dragging him back again.

"Don't wander off alone. He'll find you again. Come on. What's your friend look like?" Usopp asked. Luffy blinked at him before grinning.

"He's got green hair, and he looks cool!" Luffy said and nodded decisively.

"Well that helps." Usopp muttered a little sarcastically before turning and standing on tip-toe to see if he could spot anyone with green hair in the crowds. Nothing. No green hair, and no cool people… except that one dude with the purple hat… he looked kinda cool. Anyway. Dropping back down onto the flats of his feet, Usopp shook his head.

"Maybe he's inside eh? Come on." and he began leading Luffy towards the big top in the centre of the circus grounds. Luffy looked around in awe and wonder as Usopp led him inside.

"Do you live here?" he asked, totally forgetting that he wasn't allowed to ask questions. He was in too much awe to remember anything actually. Even Zoro for that matter.

"Yeah. Sure do." and he winked before striking a manly pose, "I'm Usopp the knife thrower, and storyteller! I narrate some of the stories they act out in the main arena too." and he grinned widely. He felt very proud in knowing that he was an integral part in something as cool as a circus.

"So cool!" Luffy cried, waving his arms around. Usopp smiled smugly again.

"Well… yeah, I am pretty cool." and he chuckled to himself as he stuck his chest out.

"Tell me a story?" Luffy asked, stars sparkling in his eyes, "Please?" Music started somewhere in the distance and Usopp smiled at it before turning back to Luffy. The music was the signal for people to begin lining up for the night show, and if they stayed here, then they were going to be in the way. Not to mention Usopp was supposed to be getting ready for it, but his act wasn't until the middle, so he had another two hours yet. It took an hour for people to be seated, and then the beginning of the show was taken up by the acrobats and tightrope walkers. Not to mention the ringleader and his three young sons, Pepper, Carrot and Onion, had their very own performance to do.

"Sure! But first I wanna introduce you to someone!" and he winked, "I'm sure you'll like him." Luffy nodded eagerly. Usopp led him out of the main arena and into the back of the big top. Carriages were set up everywhere, some of them large enough to be passed off as mini tents themselves and so brightly coloured that one couldn't have missed them even if they were blind.

A few people were milling around the area lazily as the main show would be beginning in about ten minutes, and everyone was lining up at the entrance. Usopp led Luffy right to the back of the big top, where there was no flaps closing it off, but instead it was open to the world. Green and soft grass was growing in a velvety carpet everywhere. Hurrying over to a carriage that was painted brown and pink with a large white cross on the top of it, Usopp paused as he saw the door was busted open and the very animal he had come to see… was gone.

"GAH!" he cried, instantly going into panic mode, "Where's Chopper!??" and he began searching around the area frantically. Luffy blinked as he saw something gold on the ground nearby, and moving over he picked it up and inspected it. Sighing, Luffy realized it was one of the pendants from Zoro's ear.

"Zoro…" he murmured, a little sadly. He'd forgotten about his friend until that moment, and now he had to find him! But... where to start looking?

"Chopper! Chopper!" Usopp panicked, running in circles behind Luffy, who wasn't paying any attention to him until Usopp grabbed his arm and began running through the carriages. He was so worried. Chopper was his responsibility, and Kaya wouldn't be very happy with him if she knew he had lost him. Poor Chopper. He must have been so scared.

"Chopper!" Usopp called frantically.

It took them at least another half an hour before Usopp finally located the little reindeer. He was curled up beside a green haired man and was watching the man carefully. Two carriages had been moved to block the little corner that Chopper had chosen, off from the rest of the world. Usopp pushed his way into the little area and dropped to his knees, panting heavily. Luffy pushed in behind him and then spotted Zoro lying on the ground and ran over to him.

"Zoro! Zoro I found your earring! So wake up, okay?" Luffy panicked, thinking that Zoro was dead and shook him frantically. The green haired man let out a groan, but didn't wake up. Usopp finally managed to regain his breath and looked up at the reindeer.

"Why'd you run off like that Chopper?" he asked, not angry, more curiously than anything. Chopper looked at him, his brown eyes wide. Jerking his head at Zoro, the reindeer let out a small noise, trying to tell Usopp what had happened. The long nose narrowed his eyes a little, staring into Chopper's puppy dog like ones.

"Someone... bad? Was going to hurt this guy?" Usopp tried, shrugging his shoulders until Chopper gave an affirmative squeak. Luffy looked up at Chopper and grinned.

"Hi Mr Reindeer!" he greeted before turning back to Zoro and shaking him some more. Luffy had seen reindeers on the tv at times, when Gramps had allowed him to watch it. But, it had only been VERY rarely, as most of the time it would be those naked men and women rolling around on a bed and Luffy wasn't even sure what reindeer's sounded like. They could have talked for all he knew.

"Come on Zoro! Wake up!" Luffy pleaded. Usopp blinked at Chopper.

"Bad person?" and he looked down at Zoro, who picked that moment to wake up. He sat up abruptly, knocking Luffy's hands away from him and staring around in fear. His eyes went wide, and his breathing began to get faster again.

"Where…" and then he paused as he noticed he was in a totally different place to the one he had passed out in. And he wasn't sore! How could he… he'd been beaten hadn't he?

"Where am I?" he asked as he put a hand to his head. Luffy held out the earring and Zoro hesitantly took it and replaced it beside its two fellows. He winced while doing this, but didn't say anything and once it was there, he went back to wondering where in the world he was.

"Chopper saved you from someone bad... I think." Usopp said behind him. Zoro spun around and stared at him. Usopp was staring at him, while Chopper leaned closer and gave his face a quick lick. Zoro shivered and jerked his head away, wiping at his now slimy face with a hand.

"…A reindeer and pinocchio… now I know I'm dead…" and he fell back onto the grass with a hand on his head, not realising that he had hurt the little reindeer's feelings. Chopper bowed his head sadly while Usopp burned. He hated being called pinocchio. It was rude, uncalled for... and his nose wasn't THAT long!

"Don't be mean to Chopper! He saved your life!" Usopp growled, defending his little friend before himself. Chopper looked up at him gratefully, his nose twitching in what Usopp had identified as a smile, but Zoro ignored them.

"I was fine. I didn't need saving." he replied in a snappy tone. Usopp frowned at him but didn't get the chance to say anything more as Luffy couldn't hold in his excitement anymore.

"Zoro!" he squeaked and dived on the green haired man in a gigantic bear hug. Zoro's eyes shot open and he shoved Luffy off of him rather violently.

"Get the hell off me!" he growled loudly as he stood up and glared down at Luffy. His hands were shaking, and his eyes were angry as well as fearful. He was angry, not at Luffy, but at himself for being so damned weak and for letting _her _get the upper hand on him. And naturally, when Zoro was angry at himself, he took it out on the rest of the world. Seemed logical.

"I don't like being touched." he said in a soft, and slightly dangerous voice. Chopper glanced at Usopp, who sidled closer to the little reindeer, and further away from Zoro.

"Thanks a lot, but I'm fine." he snapped at them as he turned to leave. Luffy was sitting on the grass in a kneeled position, both fists on his knees and his head bowed, the straw hat shadowing his eyes which were firmly facing the ground.

"I'm sorry Zoro-san." he apologized. Zoro paused at the way Luffy had said his name and sighed deeply. This kid was making him feel both even angrier, and guilty at the same time. He took a deep breath, like Sanji often instructed him to do, and tried to calm himself down.

"Look, Luffy, thanks, ok? But…" and he trailed off, not finishing the sentence as he saw Luffy's shoulders trembling like he was about to cry.

_Too harsh you asshole! Stop being so mean to him! _He thought before sighing, "Come on. Let's go see some animals eh?" but Luffy stayed where he was, "Don't just sit there, get up!" he barked and then bit his lip a moment too late.

"Yes sir." and Luffy jumped to his feet and hurried to Zoro's side, stiff as a board and his back as straight as it would go. His head was still bowed though and his hands were trembling. Zoro slapped a palm to his forehead and sighed again. He had just been getting Luffy to relax around him, and then he had gone and wrecked it by running away from him. Now he was angry, and Luffy was as tense as the skin on a drum, and it was all his fault. He had to fix it. Not for his sake... but for Luffy's. Zoro really was beginning to see that Luffy was a little more fragile than he had first appeared.

"Come on. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry." Zoro mumbled, sticking his hands into his pockets. Usopp was watching the two and wondering just what the hell what had just happened. Zoro was like, a massive mix of different emotions, but at least his were related to each other. Luffy was going from one end of the emotional scale to the other in a gigantic leap.

"What's going on?" Usopp whispered, leaning over to Chopper. Luffy didn't move from his spot beside Zoro. The older teen narrowed his eyes a little at Luffy, and wondered if this was what he had become. Is this how Luffy acted all the time around his 'gramps'? Or was this what 'gramps' had done to Luffy? Because it was scary, almost horrifying, to see Luffy acting so upright and obedient and willing to do anything. Zoro was sure that if he told Luffy to go and jump off a cliff right now, the poor kid would probably ask him how high the cliff had to be.

"Can I… go home now? Please?" Luffy asked, fearful of the fact that Zoro was his first friend… and he had made him mad. He didn't want to make Zoro madder and he didn't want to lose the friendship that he'd gained. Maybe next time he saw Zoro, he would do better. He wouldn't make him mad. Zoro was startled by the request and he felt a little hurt that Luffy didn't want to spend any more time with him.

But… Zoro wasn't going to show that. He didn't care if Luffy wanted to go home… What did he care? He was better off staying at his own home where he could curl up on his bed and pretend he didn't exist. That was a good place. It was where he wanted to be right now too. But… he had brought Luffy here to cheer him up… not depress him further.

"You… want to go home?" the hurt in his voice was clearly heard, but he covered it with a scowl, "Why would you want to go home?" his tone becoming softer and not so erratic and angry.

"Please?" Luffy pleaded in a soft and timid voice, his hair covering almost his whole face now as he was bowing his head that far, "Please Zoro-san?" Fear was taking over him, as he really didn't want to break his relationship with Zoro… but the worst thing was, Luffy was going the wrong way about it. Instead of preserving the friendship, he was just pissing Zoro off more. Chopper moved over to Luffy's side as Zoro was standing stock still, trying to think what to say.

The reindeer looked up at Usopp, and stamped a hoof twice, getting the long nose's attention before he let out a few soft noises and tilted his head. Blinking, Usopp turned to Zoro and Luffy who had been alerted to their presence by the sound of Chopper's 'talking'.

"Are you not feeling well? You should listen to Usopp's stories! They always make me feel loads better!" Usopp relayed, with a small grateful smile at the reindeer. Zoro glared at Chopper and Usopp, feeling that he wanted to fix what he had broken and they had no business butting in like this. Gently taking Luffy's arm, he pulled him around the carriage and out into the sunlight. Turning Luffy to face him, he sighed.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he asked and Luffy slowly raised his head, eyes glassy with unshed tears, but he'd never let them fall, for that was forbidden. Gramps _always_ insisted on no crying, so he bowed his head to hide the tears "I'm not mad at you. I'm not mad at anyone. If I am mad, I'm mad at myself. Okay?" Zoro's eyes flicked back and forth for a moment before he took a deep breath.

"Listen… I don't like being touched because I've had a few bad experiences in the past. I shouldn't let it affect me, but it does… a lot, and often too. There's nothing I can do about it. It just takes over, and I'm sorry you just happened to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time. It's not your fault at all. Please… forgive me?" and he bowed his head, still gripping Luffy's shoulders. Luffy breathed in deeply before grinning widely.

Zoro looked up at him and his heart wrenched just a little as he saw how Luffy had covered everything up with a smile. It was the saddest thing he had ever seen. The younger boy nodded and grinned back at Zoro, burying all his hurt and sadness under that big smile, and yet somehow, it seemed so real. Zoro searched Luffy's wide eyes for a moment, and noticed how closed they were. He had heard people on tv saying about how the eyes were the mirrors of the soul… and if that was true, then Luffy's soul was closed, locked, and the key must have been swallowed by a gigantic crocodile somewhere because his eyes were blocked. Zoro decided he would have to say something more before letting Luffy go.

"But if you wanna go home and waste a perfectly beautiful day like this," he said, indicating the sky above with a jerk of his head, "Then that's your choice. But trust me, I'll be back to find you again." and he grinned. Luffy blinked at Zoro for a moment before shaking his head in a 'no' gesture.

"I wanna see Usopp the elephant!" he cried. Somewhere behind them there was a loud crash as a certain long nosed boy fell over and a little fluffy reindeer let out a loud growl, which sounded much like laughter. Zoro's grin widened.

"Knew you'd see it my way." and he let go of Luffy's shoulders, sure now that the boy wasn't going to run off on him, "Come on." and they moved back into the tent to go and see the animals. Luffy walked beside Zoro, the bounce back in his step again. Zoro smiled at that… but mentally, he was kicking himself.

_But WHY do I still have to be so afraid… of everything…? _He thought miserably.

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**  
Plushie: Who likied da Chopper? neehee, he's so cute. X3 Usopp sure is smart eh? Smarty pants. Hope to see you soon and don't forget to review peoples!!**

**Clarobell: Oooh! Poor little Zoro. So what do you guys think happened? All guesses and questions are welcome! ACKNOWLEDGE MEEEE!!!**

**Plushie: ACKNOWLEDGE HEERRR!! before she drives me nuts... --''' -gets whacked- Ehehehe, just kidding Clarobell! -is scared now-**

**Clarobell: RAWR! eats**


	4. Disowned

**Plushie: G'day. If you look below, you'll see Clarobell thinks my Aussie words are ebil... in other words... means I'ma gonna use em more often. -snickers- but seriously, Thanks to everyone who reviewed and if you're anonymous, leave us an email address so we can at least thankyou for leaving us a review. If you don't wish to, that's fine, but we would like to acknowledge you in some way, and I'm afraid the chapters are a wee bit too long, with the author's notes already and all that. **

**Clarobell: Hey guys! Thanks so much for all who reviewed! I guess you're starting to get a feel for the characters now, eh? There's a nice heap of angst in this chapter! Also, Many of you wont have a clue what 'fairy floss' is, but you may know it as cotton candy, or candy floss –kicks Plushie and her ebil Australian words– Anyway! Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review! If you think any of our chappies are unbearable cliffy's, let us know and we may just upload the next chapter early! **

* * *

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 4: Disowned**_

It wasn't until the circus had finally shut down for the night, that Zoro and Luffy had left. They had looked at the animals, and Usopp and Chopper had let them watch the main show through a sneaky flap at the back that allowed one of the best seats in the house. Then, because both Zoro and Luffy didn't really want to leave the tent, Usopp had agreed to go out and get some presents for Luffy (at Zoro's quiet request).

The green haired teen had given him some money, and then Usopp had skedaddled as quickly as possible, returning ten minutes later with a stick of fairy floss in one hand, and a balloon in the other. Luffy had no idea what the balloon was, but it looked cool and Usopp had tied it to his wrist. Luffy hadn't asked what it is, and Zoro hadn't offered any answers. He was still being rather quiet and at odd moments seemed to just fade out of whatever conversation was going on, and then would come back a second later and nod and smile again.

It was strange. The night was quiet, and Zoro and Luffy were heading back towards the pub, relying on Luffy's (not panicked) directions. Zoro had no idea where they were and trusted Luffy's navigation better than he trusted his own. The younger boy was bouncing beside him and Zoro was watching the path in front of him. It was dark, and vaguely Zoro wondered what time it was. Surely it couldn't have been past ten yet.

He didn't bother to look up and see that the moon was far past ten o clock, and was actually in a position similar to probably… one in the morning. He was also wondering what Nami and Sanji would say when he got back. He winced. Hopefully they wouldn't be mad. Still… he smiled as Luffy gave an extra bounce beside him and reaching out a quick hand, he stole a bit of the fluffy sugar candy and ate it. Luffy pouted at him.

"Hey!" he whined and then chomped down on the floss in his hand. Zoro shrugged as they turned a corner and saw the pub in front of them.

"I bought it." he defended. Luffy pouted before laughing. It was then that Nami chose to stumble out the door of the pub, hanging off of Sanji's shoulder and giggling drunkenly.

"Sanji…" She slurred, "there's a step there!" and then she laughed outrageously as though it were the best joke in the world. Her hair was a mess, and her cheeks were pink. Sanji smirked at Nami, not nearly half as drunk as she was. While Nami had been having alcohol, he'd only had light drinks that were mixed with lemonade, and had had water in between to dampen what little affect the alcohol had on him.

"You're right!" he replied and slid an arm around her waist and then raising his hand higher and groping at her chest, a wide smirk on his face, "Lemme help you." Nami blinked at the hand and then looked at Sanji with a mildly annoyed look on her face.

"Sssanji… I don't think that's appropriate." she slurred and stumbled away from him, swaying dangerously. Zoro stepped up behind her and caught her easily and then raised an eyebrow at Sanji who shrugged in response.

"She got a little carried away." he replied, smirking at the same time. Okay... so maybe he was a _little _bit drunk.

"Take her home Sanji. And for hell's sake, don't try anything. I'm not gonna restrain her from killing you." he said, gently shoving Nami back at Sanji again. Luffy peeked up over Zoro's shoulder, chewing at his fairy floss and watching interestedly.

"Wheee…" Nami squeaked as she was sent swaying back to Sanji again. She giggled drunkenly and then hiccupped. Sanji caught her as easily as Zoro had, but his hands slipped higher and once again found Nami's chest.

"Oops." he said, not really meaning it as he grinned widely.

"Get the hell outta here ya perverted bastard!" Zoro snapped at him, half joking. Nami had apparently slipped into that state of drunkenness where she had no idea what the hell was going on around her.

"As you wish Marimo-kun." Sanji mocked, bowing slightly and chuckling, "Just say goodnight to your boyfriend and get your ass home!" and he helped Nami onto her feet and slid an arm around her waist properly this time… but his hands occasionally 'slipped' at times as they turned. Zoro frowned and aimed a kick at Sanji as he walked away, but it was easily dodged and Zoro shook his head at the blonde before turning back to Luffy.

"Bastard… friggin…" he muttered to himself before sighing and smiling at Luffy as the boy sucked on his quickly vanishing fairy floss.

"Well… I had best go make sure Sanji doesn't attempt anything with Nami. See ya Luffy." and he turned and walked away, shaking his head as Nami began yelling about a pot of gold that she was going to find in a well somewhere over the rainbow. Luffy waved the hand that had the balloon on it and he reached over and untied it so he could hold it in his hand.

"Bye Zoroooo!" He called, still waving the hand. Zoro waved a hand over his shoulder as he turned the corner and was gone from sight.

"Having fun?" a gravelly voice said behind him and Luffy turned sharply, spotting Garp slinking out of the shadows, hands clasped behind his back. His eyes were wide as he watched his grandfather come towards him, swaying slightly and obviously drunk.

"G-Gramps… I thought you were in the bar!" Luffy stuttered, not letting his fear even get close to coming into his voice, and instead adopted a large smile and a happy face. Gramps didn't like it when he got scared for no reason.

"I was… I've been watching you for some time now…" he said, his voice slightly slurred but he was apparently drunk and would without a doubt, not even remember that this had even happened the next morning, "You little bastard… what the hell did you think you were doing!?" and then he pulled an arm out from behind his back and slashed a broken bottle across his grandson's face, drawing a cry from the boy's mouth as Luffy hadn't been expecting the blow.

He watched through watering eyes as the balloon floated away, the string holding it having been slashed when he raised his hands to protect his face. Somewhere, in the deep recesses of his mind, he hoped Zoro would come back… He hoped Zoro would help him. And the green haired man did turn, as he heard the yell and he saw the balloon floating away over the rooftops, the lights from the sidewalk catching it as it floated away. He knew instantly what had happened and he turned on his heel and began hurrying down the sidewalk.

"Luffy…" he whispered and began running. Sanji paused as he heard the hurried footsteps and he looked over his shoulder to see Zoro run around the corner.

"What!? Marimo!" and he panicked for a moment before gently putting Nami down and then racing after his friend. He wasn't really worried about Nami, as this particular area was a good one. Low crime rate and few attacks. A family neighbourhood. But still, he would have to get back to her pretty quickly, just to be sure...

"Oh look…" Nami muttered, "Sanji's ass was in my face." and she giggled and slumped to the side, asleep.

Sanji ran around the corner, spotting Zoro bolting along the road in front of him, "Damn it! Zoro!" and he pushed his legs harder, but Zoro had the lead and the green haired teen skidded around a corner and kept going.

Luffy got back to his feet again after the third hit and stood before his grandfather, as he knew gramps didn't like weakness. Thankfully, Garp was very drunk, and his aim was poor. He had aimed for Luffy's face three times, and had only managed to reach his target once, the other two times, slashing across the boy's chest and shoulder.

"Sorry gramps…" he apologised for the third time.

"Sorry don't cut it boy!" Garp roared and swung the bottle around, slashing towards Luffy's face again. Zoro skidded around the corner then, and seeing what was happening, he frowned and dived forward, grabbing the arm and wrenching it behind the older man's back. Garp was surprisingly strong for a man of his age, and Zoro's eyes widened as he was pulled forward and almost thrown from his feet. Sanji arrived at the scene and blinked at the situation.

"What the fuck!?" he hissed before grabbing onto Garp's other arm which was swinging at Luffy, who was just out of reach and bleeding everywhere. There was thick rivulets of blood running from his face, shoulder and chest, and he was staring at the ground where a small puddle of the dark liquid was beginning to form. Sanji was able to hang onto Garp and together, he and Zoro restrained him and hauled him away from Luffy but only for a few steps as Luffy slowly followed. Zoro growled at the man in his grip.

"What the hell… do you think… you're doing!?" he ground out through gritted teeth. Garp ignored him in favour of growling at Luffy.

"You little bastard! You've been with these two all day!? Huh!? Shackin' up with em eh!? No doubt, you little slut!!" and he spat at Luffy's feet before with a heave of strength that neither Zoro nor Sanji expected, he heaved both men off of him and kicked Sanji in the gut before throwing the bottle at Luffy and then stalking off home. He swung around at the end of the street.

"Don't you ever come near me again!" and he was gone. Luffy flinched as the bottle smashed against him, not even bothering to avoid it. Zoro panted as he watched Garp leave and after seeing that Sanji was fine (the blonde had been kicked, punched and god knows what else too often by Zoro to count, and therefore wasn't hurt in the slightest) he turned to Luffy.

"You okay?" he asked, but Luffy didn't reply. He was staring at the spot at the end of the road where his grandfather had disappeared. What… what was he going to do now? Where would he go? Zoro got to his feet and gripped Luffy's shoulders.

"Hey… come on!" and shaking him a little, Zoro winced as flecks of blood flew at him. Luffy was staring wide eyed. Who was going to feed him? What had he done? Why did gramps call him a slut? How could this happen!? Sanji stood up beside Zoro and brushed himself off, rubbing at his stomach a little before looking at Zoro.

"Is the kid ok?" he asked. Zoro shook his head.

"I don't think so. He's in shock. Come on, we need to get him to a hospital or something." Zoro replied, getting worried about the blood and cuts and things. He'd seen too much blood to be phased by it, but, Luffy's loss of blood was definitely worrying. Sanji shook his head.

"You think that's wise? That nutjob might go looking for him there. We'll bring him to our place, and tomorrow we'll take him to the police." Sanji said. Zoro looked at him and then nodded.

"Okay… Come on Luffy." and he picked Luffy up bridal style and was shocked to notice just how light Luffy was, even with all his clothes on. Actually, whatever weight there was, was probably attributed _to_ the clothes. Sanji nodded.

"I'll go get Nami-san." and he raced off around the corner. Luffy didn't respond to anything, and the only movement he made was to turn his head and look past Zoro's arm to where he had last seen gramps. How was he going to survive? Zoro moved off up the road and around the corner, finally catching up with Sanji (who had Nami in his arms) and then let the blonde lead him home.

---

Sanji fiddled with the keys in his hand and finally managed to put them into the lock on the house. They lived on the outskirts of town, and the house was a two storey one of a fair size. It had a small garden that Nami tended to out the front, and a group of orange trees growing out the back. The grass was green as ever, and a sprinkler was going nearby, narrowly avoiding getting Zoro and Sanji wet.

The door swung open and Sanji edged through, Nami asleep in his arms. Zoro followed him and then hurried into the lounge room while Sanji shut the door… very quietly. He listened for anything from Zoro, and then let out a soft breath before following and finding that the other teen had gone straight to the bathroom on the first floor. He paused in the doorway.

"I'll get Nami-san ready for bed, and you clean him up." Sanji said, his kind voice betrayed by the almost hungry look in his eyes and the drool that was hanging out of his mouth. Zoro twisted around and sighed, shaking his head.

"Just clean Nami's face and nowhere else! Put her to bed and then you can come and help me bandage Luffy up. Got it cheese head?" he asked, his tone serious. Sanji sniggered and inclined his head slightly before carrying Nami away. Zoro had a feeling that Sanji wasn't going to be such a gentlemen at this point in time, but, he had other things to worry about. And Sanji would never take advantage of Nami while she was like this.

Zoro set the still shocked boy down on the closed toilet and then looked around for a washer. Finding one, he wet it under the tap and then began wiping gently at Luffy's face. Slowly, the younger boy's breathing began to get faster as a sense of panic began to set in, but he didn't move.

"Hey, come on. He's gone now." Zoro said, getting worried about Luffy not moving. Had this pushed Luffy over the edge? Was he going to remain this way for the rest of his life? Zoro hoped not. He had really gotten to enjoy having Luffy around, despite the fact that he had only seen him twice. There was just... something about Luffy that he couldn't put his finger on. Maybe a connection of some sort that he didn't have with anyone else. That was probably it. His words seemed to trigger the wrong response, and Luffy blinked as tears began to swell in his eyes. Grandpa left him! The only family he had… and he was gone! Gone! Zoro turned back to Luffy after rewetting the rag and he saw the tears trailing down Luffy's face.

"Hey, hey, hey, come on. Don't cry! What's wrong?" Zoro asked, panicking slightly. He knew Luffy was scared and shocked, but, there was no reason to cry about it was there? Luffy finally seemed to come back to himself and he hiccupped, going into slight hysterics and rubbing at his eyes frantically as tears began to spill more and more frequently from them. He was smearing the blood all over his face, but he didn't care. Gramps left him! He sniffled, and then sobbed, and then his breathing began to get choked and he did all three at once, getting louder each time. Zoro was panicking, not knowing what to do. Grabbing Luffy's wrists, Zoro gently pried them away from his face and then pushed them down towards the boy's lap.

"Hey!" he said softly but firmly before gathering Luffy's thin wrists into one of his hands and then using the other to wipe the last of the blood away, "Come on, you don't need him." and Zoro made a quick decision that he hoped Sanji and Nami would go along with, "I'll look after you." Luffy shook his head.

"N-no." he replied, sniffling and letting his bangs cover his eyes. Zoro couldn't look after him! Luffy knew he was stupid, and he knew he would make Zoro mad and he knew Zoro had other friends and like everything else, he'd just mess it all up!

"N-no." he gasped again, trying to free his hands so he could rub at the fresh tears that were forming in his eyes. The salt was stinging his wounds, but he didn't care. Pain like that was nothing. Zoro grimaced as he held Luffy's hands tightly.

"Luffy… look at me…" he said firmly. He remembered from his own experiences how looking into someone else's steady eyes was a lot better than any reassurance. Luffy looked up slowly, hiccupping and focusing on Zoro's eyes through his own watery and somewhat bloody ones. Zoro's eyes were steady, looking between his own and making Luffy think that Zoro was able to see just exactly how he felt.

"Luffy… he's gone. If you see him again, he'll probably kill you. You _cannot _go back to him. I promise I'll look after you. Do you trust me?" he asked slowly, making sure to be firm, but soft at the same time and clear too so Luffy would understand.

Slowly, Luffy nodded, still sniffling but holding back tears. Gramps didn't like crying, so he wasn't going to. Zoro nodded and managed to tear his eyes away from Luffy's. For a few moments, he had been able to see just how tortured Luffy really was, but then that hardness had come into the wide eyes. He briefly wondered if his own eyes were like that and then he was focused on Luffy again.

"Good. Now…" and he cleared his throat to get rid of that annoying catch that had just come in, "Let's get you cleaned up eh?"

He continued to wipe at Luffy's face, and then found some small bandages. He had been worried that the cuts would be deep, but they were fairly shallow, and at most, would leave very thin and faint scars. He was thankful for that. Zoro didn't notice the footsteps that had come down the stairs ages ago, and he still hadn't noticed that Sanji was leaning outside the bathroom door, his eyes closed, arms folded on his chest and a smile on his face.

"Well done Zoro." he whispered to himself before quietly making his way back upstairs to his room, having already put Nami to bed.

"You hungry?" Zoro asked once he was finished and he leaned back to rest on his haunches. Luffy shook his head in a 'no' gesture, still quite dazed and Zoro nodded.

"Well… let's get you to bed then eh?" and he stood up,

_Where's he gonna sleep? Meh, he can take my room and I can sleep on the couch down here…_

Zoro could have let Luffy take the spare roo that had once belonged to Sanji before he had stated sleeping with Nami in her room, but he briefly thought of how nice it would be to be able to sleep with some light filtering through the curtains. He slept upstairs away from the lamplights... in the dark. Zoro didn't like the dark at all; not since… no… he wouldn't think of that.

"Come on." and he helped Luffy to his feet.

The boy was weak, the days events taking its toll and he shook slightly as he got up, but Zoro supported him with his hands, never getting too close. Luffy sniffled a little and followed his new friend as he was led upstairs. He was tired, and he was looking forward to falling asleep. Zoro crept past Nami's room and led Luffy to his own room which was empty except for a nice large bed (courtesy of Nami and Sanji) and a cupboard in the corner. Zoro really hadn't gotten around to putting anything in the room itself yet. Most of what he had was shoved under his bed.

"Can't let you sleep in that…" Zoro muttered, eyeing the blood on Luffy's clothes and pants, "So…"

He moved over to the cupboard which had a set of drawers underneath the section at the top which was always open. He pulled out the smallest shirt he had and one of the pairs of pants that he hadn't worn in a while, and tossed them to Luffy while he got his own clothes so he could have a bath downstairs.

Luffy quickly stripped down and changed, completely unashamed of his nakedness and Zoro had a quick glimpse of a thin body covered in purple, black and healing yellow bruises. Lacerations and large cuts laced the boy's skin and Zoro turned away, not wanting Luffy to know he was watching. But Luffy didn't seem to care at the moment, he was just so tired. He muttered a quick thank you and dropped down to the floor, before curling up and laying still, curled up in a small ball facing away from Zoro. The older teen blinked before carefully before picking Luffy up, shocked to find it appeared he was already asleep, and placing him on the bed, pulling the covers up to his chin.

Sighing softly, Zoro realized that Luffy was going to take a fair while to recover, and he decided then and there, that he was going to help Luffy in anyway he could. And Luffy could help him… it would be a mutually beneficial relationship. He moved to the doorway, and flicked out the light.

"Night Luffy." he said and turned to walk out. Luffy sucked in a deep breath, and then let it out, unable to stop the whine that escaped with it. He hadn't wanted Zoro to know he was crying, but the whine had come out of its own accord. The green haired man paused, and walked back in. It felt unfamiliar to him that someone would be crying about the loss of a place that was horrible. He remembered that he hadn't cried about the loss of the orphanage, but he had cried about what he'd left behind there. Maybe that was what Luffy was upset about? Still… Zoro really didn't understand what was going on, but he was determined to comfort this kid any way he could.

Nami had comforted him when he had been upset, and she'd been there for him when he needed her. He didn't love Nami, at least, he didn't think he did, but she was like a sister, as much as Sanji was like a brother. They were like the family he'd never had, and now Zoro was going to play the part of brother to Luffy. That made him feel… better. A little stronger even.

"Hey…" he whispered, sitting on the bed beside Luffy, "It's okay…" he really wasn't sure if this was right or not, "It's okay to cry… don't have to hide it." Luffy shook his head against the pillow.

"G-G-Gramps said it's n-not okay t-to-" but Zoro cut him off.

"Forget him. You're here now. Cry, don't cry. Do whatever you want… just be yourself." he said.

The words sounded strange coming from his mouth, but they felt right. He tentatively reached out and pulled Luffy into a soft hug, forcing his fear to the back of his mind. He couldn't stop his body from tensing, but he **made **his hands stay soft. It was very unlike him to be so soft or gentle, or even affectionate. Zoro was the type of person that would rather stay away from people, but Luffy really looked like he could use some human contact right now, as words just didn't seem to be working.

"Okay?" he whispered, looking down at the top of Luffy's head which was still covered with the straw hat he'd been wearing all day. Luffy twisted and hugged Zoro back, his arms almost painfully crushing the older teen's ribs, surprising Zoro with his strength, but he bore it out and after a few short minutes, Luffy finally managed to cry himself to sleep. Zoro sighed and gently laid Luffy back down on the bed, his arms and torso trembling. That… hadn't been that bad. Nothing bad had happened! Luffy twitched a little in his sleep, but didn't move at all.

"This is gonna take a while…" Zoro muttered before standing.

He would have stayed, but, he didn't sleep well and quite often woke up many times in the night due to nightmares or strange noises that sounded like someone creeping down the hall. Actually, it usually was, and Sanji would poke his head in just to assure him it was only him going down to make breakfast in the morning. So, the green haired teen left after one last lingering look at Luffy.

---

The next morning, Zoro crept up to his room and peered in the door to notice that Luffy was still asleep, and hadn't moved a muscle during the night, still in the same position that Zoro remembered laying him in last night. It was early, and Zoro moved back downstairs again and into the kitchen still in his pyjamas. Sanji had been up for about fifteen minutes.

"Your boyfriend awake Marimo?" Sanji teased as Zoro walked in and the chef used nimble fingers to crack two eggs into the pan. He would usually crack three, but Nami-san didn't feel like eating that morning. She was upstairs, slowly recovering from her hangover. Zoro shot a glare at Sanji as he moved to the fridge, glancing the cook's way, who noticed the look and nodded his head to let Zoro know it was ok to get whatever he wanted from the fridge.

"No…" Zoro finally replied as he pulled out a bottle of orange juice and poured himself a glass before placing the bottle back in the exact position it had been when he had taken it out. Sanji just smirked at the fact that Zoro didn't deny the 'boyfriend' crack.

"I guess it's just us then." Sanji said as Zoro walked past and sat down at the table.

"Guess so…" Zoro replied, taking a drink of his orange juice before putting the glass down and then looking up at Sanji, who was still smirking at him, "The hell is your problem?" Sanji shrugged and looked back down at the pan in his hand.

"Nothing. How's the kid holding up?" he asked, changing the subject easily. Zoro eyed him suspiciously for a moment before picking up his glass again.

"He's still asleep. He had a bit of an episode last night, so be nice to him." and he sent a warning glare in the direction of the chef. Sanji snorted as he saw the warning glare, which really wasn't that scary at all. Actually, it reminded him more of a little kid than anything else and that thought made him snigger slightly.

"Yeah, yeah, just as long as he's nice to Nami-san." he replied.

Zoro rolled his eyes and then jumped when Sanji swore.

"Shit! She doesn't know he's here yet!" the cook hissed, his eyes wide. Zoro shrugged. Nami wouldn't mind that much. After all, she liked cute things, and Luffy was cute, so Zoro was pretty sure that Nami would like him. The subject of Sanji's distress chose that moment to wander in, yawning and looking worse for wear. She walked past Zoro and brushed a hand over his head, rubbing slightly.

"Morning Zoro…" she said as she moved up the table and sat in her usual position on the end. Zoro pretended that the movement hadn't made him feel better, and covered it with a scowl. Sanji saw the motion, and his bottom lip stuck out in a massive pout. Noticing this, Nami smiled affectionately at the blonde.

"Morning Sanji-kun." she said sweetly. That did the trick.

"Morning Nami-swaaaaan!!!" he cried exuberantly and Zoro sighed as Nami winced and glared daggers at the chef, "How are you feeling? Would you like something to drink?" he asked in a tone that was a lot softer due to being glared at.

"I feel like hell, and yes, I would like a drink. Coffee would be good thank you Sanji-kun." she said, resting her head on her hands and groaning tiredly. A headache was pounding at her, and her brain felt fuzzy, "And some Panadol." she turned to look at Zoro, who blinked back at her.

"Did you have fun yesterday?" she asked, her tone generally curious as she was too damn sore to tease.

Zoro shrugged and replied in a mumble that Nami could barely make out. Upstairs, Luffy blinked awake, getting off the bed, and scratching his head before wandering out of the room in search of the bathroom. He wandered into a room that had orange walls, and then turned around and walked out again. He stumbled down the hall and spotted a gleaming tile floor and with a sleepy smile, he darted inside.

Silence reigned down over the group… until the sound of a toilet flushing made Zoro and Sanji look at the ceiling and Nami blink in confusion. Zoro turned to her with a nervous smile.

"Ah, Nami…" and he sent a short glance at Sanji, "Last night, Luffy, the guy I was with, kinda got hurt, so… he came back here." and he winced and waited for the yelling to start. Nami's eyes narrowed.

"Oh?" she asked instead, and Zoro looked at her.

"We would have told you Nami-san, but, well…" Sanji smiled sheepishly. Nami turned to him.

"Yeah, don't remind me. You owe me big time for letting me get that drunk you bastard." she said before turning back to Zoro, "What happened to him?"

Zoro bowed his head, not sure if he should say anything. He didn't want to make Luffy mad at him. Not that Luffy seemed to get mad, but, still… Nami's eyes narrowed at Zoro, but the teen kept his mouth clamped shut.

"His grandad went nuts and tried to slice his face open with a bottle. Would have too if we hadn't stopped him." Sanji explained, leaning on the bench near to the table. Zoro frowned at the blonde.

"Maybe Luffy didn't want _you_, or _me_, to say anything at all." he growled, a little annoyed that Sanji had just come straight out with it. He stormed out of the room leaving Sanji and Nami to stare at his exit before Sanji smirked.

"What was that for?" Nami asked, her eyes turning sad at the thought of Luffy "Oh that poor kid." and she got to her feet, meaning to go upstairs and see if this 'Luffy' was alright.

"He's just touchy I told you about his BOYFRIEND!" Sanji explained, yelling out the last word. Something went crash on the way up to the stairs and Sanji chuckled to himself before turning to find Nami glaring at him, hands on her hips.

"Stop annoying him, for god's sake Sanji. Oh, and by the way, stop YELLING!" and she smacked him over the head.

"Sorry Nami-san." Sanji whispered, rubbing at his now aching cranium.

* * *

**  
Plushie: Dun forget to review so we can yell- I mean, reply to you!! -smiles innocently-**

**Clarobell: Sooooo, what didja think? Didja like it? Huh? Huh? Let us know!**


	5. Of Hot Chocolate and Revealed Secrets

**Plushie: Glad you peoples liked the last chappie! And yes that ending was quite funny, no? Hope you enjoy this one just as much!! **

Clarobell: Many of you seemed quite happy about what happened in the last chapter and I hope you like this one. Please keep in mind, as I'm sure you've all realised, the characters are OOC for a _reason_!

* * *

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 5: Of Hot Chocolate and Revealed Secrets**_

Zoro muttered a few curses in Sanji's general direction before peering into his room and not seeing anyone. He'd been expecting to see Luffy curled up on the bed again, but no such luck. Narrowing his eyes in both confusion, and worry, he took a step into the room and blinked around.

"Luffy?" he called softly, peering at his bed and then the cupboard. No sign of Luffy anywhere.

"Oi! Marimo! Lost your boyfriend?" Sanji asked as he appeared at the top of the stairs, hands in his pockets and a smirk the size of Nevada on his face. Zoro jumped about a mile in the air and spun around, eyes wide before he spotted that it was only Sanji.

"The hell'd you come from?" he asked, glaring at the chef, who grinned and jerked a thumb at the stairs behind him, obviously being sarcastic about the fact that he had come up the stairs. Nami moved angrily up behind the blonde and grabbed his ear.

"What did I tell you Sanji?!" and she dragged him away, not caring that Sanji tripped down the stairs and that his eyes were watering in pain.

"Owowowowowowowowowow!" the blonde cried as he was pulled after her.

Zoro shook his head and looked around again. He couldn't see anything, so he moved out and looked back to Nami and Sanji's room. Deciding that possibly Luffy could have gone into their room, he moved in that direction. And he was rewarded upon seeing a small lump curled up on the big bed, snuggled in the plush duvet and fast asleep, obviously having been confused about where he was going on the way back from the bathroom. Zoro had the sudden thought that Luffy looked kind of like a puppy, before he shook his head and hurried into the room.

"Luffy!" He called softly as he hurried in. This room was out of bounds. He grabbed at Luffy's waist and tried to move him, but just ended up dragging the duvet with him. The boy wasn't coming out of his sleep anytime soon either.

"Damnit Luffy…" he said in a hushed whisper as he tried to pry Luffy's fingers from the duvet so he could move him, but Luffy wasn't letting go, and whenever Zoro got a hand free, the other one would clamp down again. He sighed and leaned away. What was he going to do?

"What are you doing in here?" a ghostlike voice said behind him and Zoro screamed and spun around, slamming his back against the wall and breathing heavily. Sanji blinked back at him and then the blonde smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, forgot about that." and he shrugged as he stuck his hands into his pockets, "I mean, you've been a lot better lately, eh?" Zoro nodded and relaxed again.

"Yeah… fine… just don't do that." and he let out a short shuddering breath before turning to look down at Luffy again. Sanji mentally hit himself. He should have known better, but he had a moment of mischievousness and had decided to do it. Nami had told him not to do that because Zoro had told her that people used to sneak up behind him at the orphanage and yell in his ear, and then when he became immune to that, they'd hit him with things. Most often hit him over the head with bricks and hard objects and no one could become immune to that. Actually, Sanji was a little surprised that Zoro didn't have brain damage. From what Nami had told him about the Marimo's experiences... but that was all in the past. What mattered was here and now. Zoro bent over Luffy and gently shook him again.

"Damnit SANJI!" Nami's voice rang out to them as she stormed up the stairs. Sanji grimaced. Zoro's yell must have alerted her. She stormed into the room and paused at the sight of Zoro blinking back at her, while Sanji stood nearby with a frightened look on his face, and a small boy curled up on her bed. A vein pounded in her head and she looked about ready to blow a gasket.

"What. Are. You. All doing. In my room!?" She yelled. Her room was off-limits. Zoro should know better than that, and Sanji… well... technically this was his room too, but still... Sanji shivered in fright now and darted out of the room, barely avoiding Nami whose gaze was focused on both Zoro and the boy who was still asleep on her bed.

"H-hi Nami…" Zoro said, laughing a little nervously. Nami was damn scary when she was like this, and no way in hell was Zoro going to push his luck. Nami's frown deepened.

"Get him off my bed, and get the hell out." She snapped. Zoro went to grab Luffy, but the kid chose that very moment to wake and sit up, blinking around blearily. He rubbed sleepily at his eyes and peered at Nami, looking very, **very **adorable. Nami blinked at him, he blinked at her and then Nami let out the biggest squeal and dived onto the bed.

"Awwwwwwww! You're so cute!" and she hugged him tightly.

Zoro blinked down at them, lost for words before he crossed his arms and turned his head away, annoyed. He was jealous… not that he would ever admit that. But the weird thing was, he wasn't jealous that Nami was hugging Luffy, he was jealous that Luffy attention wasn't on him any more! Once again, not that he would ever admit that. And, it wasn't like he _wanted _to hug him anyway! After all, who would want something like that? Letting out an annoyed sniff, Zoro glared at the wall.

Luffy smiled happily at Nami's reaction and hugged her back, surprising Nami a little as the first time she had done anything like that with Zoro, he shoved her off of him and then hadn't moved from his corner for the rest of the day.

Nuzzling his head against Nami's shoulder, Luffy hummed in enjoyment. It was nice to be hugged like this by someone. It was something that Luffy had been craving most of his life. Some basic TLC.

"Awwwww…" Nami cooed, treating Luffy like some sort of gigantic plushie teddy while the boy grinned at the attention, blinking as she gently ran a finger over the thick bandages covering his face "Oh, you're poor face…"

Zoro sighed and watched in silence. He supposed he should be thankful that Nami wasn't currently giving him a lecture about being in her room, but still…

"Nami… you're crushing his lungs." he commented in a tone that indicated he was annoyed. Noticing the tone, and the way Zoro was standing, Nami leaned away from Luffy a little and looked down at him. She smirked a little.

"You're okay, aren't you." she said, spiting Zoro.

Luffy nodded enthusiastically and pulled her back for another hug. Nami obliged and glanced at Zoro over Luffy's head, but the green haired teen was purposely averting his eyes. She felt a little guilty, but looked back down at the boy who was still clinging to her. Loving hugs was natural for Luffy. He got them very rarely, and he usually only got them when strangers ran up to him and hugged him simply because he was the cutest thing since fluffy ducks. Not that it happened very often, as he didn't really go out, but when it did, it was usually by girls a bit younger than him and he liked the attention. Gramps had never…

Luffy's smile fell slowly as he thought of Gramps and his eyes began to water slightly. A soft sniffle made Nami let go and look down in concern at the boy in her arms.

"A-Are you okay? Zoro?" and she looked up at the older man, "What's wrong?" Zoro sat down quickly on the bed and pulled Luffy a little closer.

"Come on, not again eh?" he mumbled, once again pushing the fear to the back of his mind. If he knew it was going to happen, it wasn't as hard to stop himself from shoving people away and as long as the hug wasn't overzealous. Luffy sobbed lightly against Zoro's chest, biting his lip to try and hold it back. Sanji, who had been listening from outside, walked in and up beside Nami, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"His grandfather disowned him last night." he said. Zoro found himself gripping Luffy tighter.

"Come on. I told you I'd look after you. You don't need him." he assured the boy in his arms. Nami looked sadly at Luffy.

"Oh." she noised softly and sadly. Sanji leaned away from Nami again.

"I think maybe we should leave them to calm down for a few minutes, ne? Come on Nami-san, I'll make you a nice cup of hot chocolate." he said. Luffy peeked a watery eye out at Sanji at the mention of hot chocolate. He didn't know what it was, but it sounded good. Nami smiled.

"Make it two Sanji." she said. Zoro twitched visibly and Nami half sighed, half laughed.

"Three." Nami added, turning a smirk at Sanji, who snorted.

"Four." and he walked out. Still sniffling slightly, Luffy pulled away from Zoro and looked up at him.

"Thank you." he said. Zoro smiled a little shakily.

"You're welcome." He replied. Luffy grinned up at Zoro, and Zoro couldn't help but grin, properly, back at him. Nami watched them for a moment, her eyes narrowed and then a smile spread across her face.

"Come on you two. Downstairs." she instructed. Zoro got off the bed and pulled Luffy with him. Despite the fact that he was older (by a year) he listened to her easily. In fact, he listened to most people easily _if_ they used the right tone of voice. He grinned at Luffy.

"Come on Luf, and you can eat and drink whatever you want!" he said, leading Luffy out of the room after Nami, who had exited just before him. Luffy smiled brightly, his mood taking a 180 degree turn and looked around curiously, not in the least bit afraid of this place. It was neat! And nothing like Gramps', like he'd expected it to be. It was all pretty colours and it was really roomy too! Things weren't smashed everywhere, and everything was all neat and tidy and in it's proper place. As he walked along, Luffy decided it was time to ask just what hot chocolate was.

"Zoro?" he asked, as they moved down the stairs.

"Yeah?" Zoro replied, watching the stairs beneath his feet and then looking up at Luffy again.

"What's hot chocolate?" Luffy asked, turning to him with genuine curiosity. Zoro nearly fell down the stairs and he only managed to stay upright by grabbing a hold of the banister.

"You… don't know what hot chocolate is?" he asked and Luffy shook his head, still looking curious, "Well… it's chocolate… and it's hot." he replied, looking a little nervous, "I don't know much about cooking." Nami snorted as they moved to the kitchen.

"Great deduction there Zoro." She teased as she walked into the kitchen. Zoro frowned and blushed a little as he followed her.

"Cheese head's all about cooking, not me." he defended as she sat down, and he sat on the opposite side of the table.

"What's chocolate?" Luffy asked, tilting his head and standing in the doorway as he peered around curiously.

"It's a sweet." Nami replied. Luffy just looked even more confused.

"What's a sweet?" he inquired. Zoro opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it because he didn't know what to say. Therefore, he looked to Sanji, the chef, to explain the situation.

"Uh… Sanji?" He asked, silently pleading for the blonde to explain it. After all, if Sanji was the chef, then _he _should explain it. Zoro didn't have a clue about cooking, or anything to do with it. Sanji smirked.

"It's something that tastes really, really nice." he explained, glancing at Zoro to see if the teen remembered the explanation from when he'd asked about such things. Zoro blinked and then nodded in agreement at Luffy. He did.

"Oh!" Luffy noised happily. That sounded good! He took the mug that Sanji handed him eagerly, and then gasped and dropped it as it was hot, and he didn't expect the mug to be so hot. This place was making him a little dazed, as he was trying to look at everything at once and take it all in before he had to go home again. Because, even though Gramps had said he never wanted to see him again, surely Gramps would reconsider! Gramps couldn't do all the cooking, cleaning and everything like that by himself... His eyes widened as the mug smashed on the ground, the contents spilling all over the floor. Zoro blinked and then got to his feet.

"Umm… that's okay." he assured the boy as he went into the kitchen area, searching for a cloth but not finding one until Sanji threw it at him and shook his head as Zoro hurried past again. But, by the time Zoro had got to the opening in the counter, Luffy had found the broom cupboard, pulled out the mop and then cleaned up the mess. He'd scooped the broken mug pieces into his hands, found the trash can and dumped them in and now he was sitting on the clean floor, hands folded on his knees and head bent. Sanji blinked.

"Wow…" he muttered. Zoro was also in shock.

"He's good…" he noised.

"Good boy!" Nami squealed, grabbing Luffy and hugging him again.

Luffy blinked, not sure what to do. Whenever he did things like that at Gramps', he'd be scolded and had 'bad' yelled in his face, and then he'd have his face rubbed in the spot that he'd dirtied, despite the fact that he'd cleaned it up already. Gramps was never happy until he saw blood. He hesitantly hugged back and smiled a little nervously.

Zoro felt that jealous feeling settle in again, and he threw the rag into the sink and turned back, his arms crossed and his lips bordering on a pout. If Sanji had of turned, he would have seen Zoro look the most childish he had ever been. But the blonde was too focused on the way that Nami always knew the right thing to do and say. He smiled a little as he watched Nami give Luffy's hair a scruff. It wasn't until she turned to look at him, that he blushed and turned away, clearing his throat.

"Here Luf, you can have mine. But be careful when holding it, because it's hot too okay?" Sanji instructed, watching Luffy carefully and keeping his eyes averted from Nami. Luffy nodded quickly and took the mug carefully by the handle before sitting down on the floor again with it. Quickly moving away, Sanji went to make another mug. Zoro re-seated himself at the table, holding his own mug between his hands before taking a sip and then looking down at Luffy.

"Umm… Luffy, why are you sitting on the floor?" Nami asked, glancing at Zoro. She hoped he didn't get any ideas and decide to sit on the floor too, like he used to. Surprisingly, Luffy answered with a broad smile on his face as he quoted from memory.

"Because I'm a filthy little faggot that doesn't deserve to be at the same level as others." and he took a cautious sip from his mug and then his grin went impossibly wide.

"YUMMY!" he crowed and took another sip. Nami choked on her drink and coughed while Zoro's eyes were wide.

"Umm…" he noised and looked back at Nami, not sure what to do or say. The red head was frowning.

"Who said that Luffy?" she asked, anger tingeing her voice.

"Gramps." Luffy replied and took another sip of his drink, smiling in delight, "I like hot chocolate."

Zoro frowned.

"Figures…" he muttered, referring to the fact that it was Luffy's grandfather who'd made the comment. Nami frowned even more deeply and moved back to Luffy, crouching down beside him.

"What he said, is not true. You can sit as high, or as low, as you like. Understand?" she said firmly. Zoro tilted his head slightly as he listened to that, before he twitched as he remembered when Nami said that to him. Wow… he hadn't realized until that moment, just how like Luffy he was. But still how different they were. Where Zoro would hate to be touched, or hugged, Luffy craved it like a drug. It was weird. Luffy was shaking his head when Zoro finally came out of his thoughts again.

"No I can't. Gramps said he'll…" and Luffy paused to think, trying to remember what gramps had said, "Ah! He said he'll 'fuck me up and feed my bloody corpse to the stray dogs for breakfast.'" and he nodded, "So I gotta stay down here." and he took another happy sip of his hot chocolate, shivering in delight at the sweetness of it all. This time it was Zoro's turn to choke on his drink and he turned to Luffy, wiping a hand over his mouth as his eyes were wide.

"He. What!?" Zoro growled, getting angry. What right did a person have to say that to another person? Fair enough, that a lot of fights and things were based off of comments like that. Nami's face was becoming dark, and she was getting as angry as she had when she'd heard about what happened to Zoro at the orphanage. In fact, the green haired teen was tempted to hide behind the table, but he kept his composure as he knew she wasn't angry at him. If she'd been angry at him, then he'd already be hiding under the table, his ears blocked and his eyes shut. But… then he'd deny that he'd such a thing, cos, you know, he was a man… sort of…

"No one is allowed to say anything like that to you, ever! Do you understand me Luffy?" she growled. Luffy was a little shocked by the change of tone in her voice.

"O-okay." he replied, gulping nervously before calming as Nami calmed, "Lady? What's a bloody corpse? Do I have one?" and he watched as Nami turned slightly pale and stood up. Sanji flinched by the stove and quickly turned to look at them as Zoro chuckled to himself.

"Lady…" he muttered and then laughed softly with a hand over his mouth. Sanji rolled his eyes and glared at the back of Zoro's head as he brought his own cup of hot chocolate over to the table. Luffy looked between the three sitting at the table above him and tilted his head in confusion before sipping the last of his hot chocolate and yawning a little once he had done so.

"It's nothing kid, don't worry about it." Sanji assured him, having waited for Luffy to finish yawning before saying anything. Luffy, who was used to that answer, grinned and nodded his head.

"Okay then!" he replied brightly. Nami looked around at Sanji and silently thanked him. She had been lost for words then. Sanji took a sip of his drink before looking down at Luffy again.

"So, do you feel like taking a shower kid?" he asked.

"Where would I take it?" Luffy responded, blinking in confusion.

"In the bathroom." Zoro explained, glancing at Sanji with a raised eyebrow. Luffy turned to him.

"You… do know what a bathroom is, right?" Nami asked.

"Yup! So, where is the shower then?" Luffy inquired, getting to his feet and looking around as though it might appear beside him.

"Eh?" Sanji noised, thoroughly confused by this kid's behaviour.

"Well, if you want me to take it to the bathroom, I have to know where it is." Luffy explained as though Sanji was stupid, and the boy added on a roll of the eyes at the end.

Zoro bit his lip, trying not to smile, but he couldn't help it. He burst out laughing and slapped a hand over his mouth before pressing the other one to it as well and closing his eyes, laughing silently as his eyes watered. He found it immensely funny that Luffy had implied that Sanji was stupid, and that Luffy thought he was supposed to actually take the shower _to _the bathroom. It was more the fact that Luffy had rolled his eyes at Sanji than anything else though.

"Umm… the shower's in the bathroom already Luffy." Nami explained, glancing at Zoro and smiling a little. Luffy frowned and tilted his head, not understanding what the hell they had been talking about.

"But… I thought…" He said, and then bit his lip and twitched, wringing his hands together and looking increasingly nervous.

He was going to get hit for being so stupid, he knew it! But he couldn't help it! He didn't know what they were talking about, and why they wanted him to take a shower to the bathroom if it was already in there in the first place! What was with that!? Zoro was pressing his forehead to the table, laughing so hard that he was incapable of any other function. But he still kept both hands pressed to his mouth and he didn't make a sound, other than his slightly wheezing breaths. Tears of laughter were running freely down his cheeks now, and Luffy looked at Sanji, waiting to be hit, or scolded, or told off, or something!

"By 'take a shower' I meant, do you want to 'have a shower'." Sanji explained simply, not even a hint of anger in his voice. Luffy blinked.

"Oh!" and he grinned and nodded, "Okay then!" Sanji finally had the chance to look at Zoro, and he smirked as he looked from Zoro to Luffy. It was a very rare thing for Zoro to laugh like that, but it was unfortunate that when he did, he blocked it off. But still, the marimo was getting there. It was strange that Zoro was laughing at Luffy, and the boy was watching Zoro curiously, before a smile came to his face as well and he started chuckling, not understanding what Zoro was even laughing at. It must have been funny though, cos Zoro was laughing pretty hard.

After a few more seconds, Zoro became aware that everyone was looking at him and instantly he stopped laughing, pulling his hands away and placing them on the table, but not before wiping the tears from his face and blushing furiously. He wasn't supposed to laugh like that. It was forbidden at the orphanage and that thought was still firmly ingrained into his mind. Nami and Sanji had attempted to make him laugh on many occasions and had only achieved it once by accident.

Nami had been holding a cake for Sanji, who had been getting something from the cupboard for it, and then Sanji had come back again and slipped, sliding straight into Nami and burying his face into the cake. Zoro had burst out laughing at that as Nami glared at Sanji, and Sanji struggled to get off of her, blushing a little and apologising profusely. They'd been startled to see Zoro with both hands over his mouth, leaning his head on the table in front of them and gasping for breath as he laughed. It was Zoro's way of laughing. If he honestly couldn't stop himself from laughing, he would smother the noise.

"Come on. I'll show you the way." Nami said, standing up. Zoro made a small noise and looked up at Nami.

"Ah…" and he rubbed unconsciously at the back of his head, "I can do it if ya want?" and he looked up at Nami with wide, and almost pleading eyes. Sanji smiled at Zoro. He'd developed a caring nature for the marimo. Like a brother really, and he was happy that Zoro was stretching out and asking to help. He hadn't asked to do something like that before, and it was interesting to see the flush of colour that fairly ran to the teen's cheeks.

"Yay! Zoro!" Luffy cried, clapping and then jumping over to latch onto him. Zoro gasped and tugged Luffy off before panic could take hold. Yeah… he panicked when people suddenly did things like that. He smiled a little nervously at Luffy as the boy pouted.

"Umm… remember what happened last time you did that." he muttered, but not quietly enough that Nami couldn't hear. Her eyes flashed and she crossed her arms, towering over him.

"What happened?" She asked in a dangerous voice. Zoro mentally cursed, but looked up at Nami with a nervous smile. He knew very well that she took down all his panic attacks in a diary so she could measure the distances between them, and so she could see if he was getting better, or if he was average, or if he was worse. She also wanted to know what it was that made him freak, as then she would know next time, expect it, and then she could solve the situation before it got too bad.

But still… he didn't like reliving those moments. He didn't like telling her about them, and he didn't like the feeling that overtook him every time he did so. It was a hurt, and embarrassed feeling. And he hated it. So, Zoro kept his mouth clamped shut, and Nami frowned deeper. It wasn't uncommon though for Zoro to not say anything and play dumb. He had done that a LOT when they had first found him.

"Zoro got all mad and scary…" a soft voice said beside him as Luffy's eyes turned sad. Zoro whipped around to glare at him and then he crossed his arms and stared at the hard wood of the table. He had wanted to keep it a secret for once! Nami, noticing Zoro's mild version of a temper tantrum, turned to Luffy.

"Why?" she asked. And Luffy launched into a massive explanation of what happened, that had Zoro staring at the wood of the table like he wished he could shoot lasers at it. He was reliving the moments in his head as Luffy spoke.

"…and then the mean lady…" Luffy said and Zoro twitched as Alvida flashed in his mind and he closed his eyes, biting down hard on his tongue. He wasn't going to say anything, he wasn't going to shout, he wasn't going to clench his fists. He was just going to sit there, and take it. He could do that.

"Wait, wait, mean lady?" Sanji asked, glancing at Luffy, who nodded.

"Yeah. Chopper told Usopp about her! He said…" and Luffy paused a moment to think and Zoro felt like hitting him, "That the mean lady was going to hurt Zoro, and he saved him, and then Zoro passed out… umm… oh, and the mean lady was going to hit Zoro with a belt!" and that was it for Zoro. He gasped in pain as he nearly bit through his tongue. Nami was silent.

"Thank you, Luffy." She said, nodding at the boy. Luffy grinned at the praise.

"You're welcome!" he replied. Nami frowned as she turned dark eyes on the twitching teen beside her.

"You ran off into a crowded area did you?" and she raised an eyebrow. Zoro twitched and lowered his head a little.

"Yes…" he replied in a soft whisper.

He felt so bad now. His heart was pounding, while his body was ice cold and his face was red hot. Embarrassment was coursing through him like poison, and he wished he could bury his head in the table before him. He hated when they found out he lost control! Sanji was watching from the other side of the table, his eyes glancing from Zoro, to Nami, to Luffy and then back to Zoro again. He was leaning over the table a little, but not much, just enough to let Zoro know that he was there.

But Sanji wasn't stupid.

He knew better than to interfere with Nami when she was like this. She could be so damn scary, but at the same time, he knew Nami meant well. Blinking curiously, and not understanding what was going on, was Luffy. He was looking from face to face and wondering why Zoro was so embarrassed, and why Nami was so… scary, and why Sanji kept looking from him, to Zoro, to Nami and then back again. Deciding that it wasn't worth thinking about as he was probably too stupid to even understand it, Luffy yawned and let his eyelids droop.

"I…" Zoro began into the silence, "…didn't mean to." he sighed.

Nami frowned and let out a soft breath through her nose. Why hadn't Zoro told her about this sooner? If he had, she wouldn't have been so mad. But she wasn't just mad at Zoro, she was mad that _she _had shown up and tried to hit Zoro when he wasn't even under her _'care' _anymore.

"Sanji, take Luffy to the bathroom please. I think Zoro and I need to talk alone…" and she crossed her arms.

"But I-" Zoro began but cut himself off. He knew better than to try and protest his case. It just led to trouble.

"Yes?" Nami asked, quirking an eyebrow at him. Zoro sighed.

"Fine." he mumbled, grumpy that he had been found out. Now he was going to have to explain the WHOLE incident. Right down to the barest detail. Great...

"Of course Nami-san!" Sanji bowed and then grabbed Luffy's arm, "C'mon kid." he said a little urgently. Luffy blinked back to reality as he was dragged out, and the last thing he saw was Zoro drawing circles on the table with his pointer finger.

"Word of warning kid, if Nami-san tells you to do something, you do it. Okay?" Sanji asked as he turned Luffy to face him.

"But she-"

"I know she didn't. I'm just warning you." and he smirked before turning back to the shower again. Luffy blinked, tilted his head and then grinned.

"Okay!"

Sanji showed Luffy the shower, and the bathroom, telling him where everything was. He showed him how to turn the water on and off, and then turned the shower on to a nice warm heat and stepped back. Luffy peered at it for a second before sticking his hand under the spray of water and then grabbing onto the cold and twisting it on as far as it would go, before shutting off the heat entirely. Once again, Luffy stuck his hand under the shower and then grinned when it was freezing cold.

"You… like cold showers?" Sanji asked doubtfully, a small smile coming to his lips.

"Nope." Luffy replied cheerfully as he peeled off a jacket from his own collection that he had added on top of Zoro's clothes that morning, "Gramps says I have to have em cold so that maybe if I'm lucky, one day, it'll shrivel up and I won't be a faggot anymore!" and he grinned at Sanji as he pointed at his crotch. To say Sanji's face was a mask of horror, was an understatement. He shook his head and brushed a hand through his hair. He needed a cigarette, but Nami had forbidden him from smoking _all _the time. So, he had to deal.

"You don't have to have cold showers kid." and he turned the heat back up, and swung the cold back down until it was nice and warm again.

"Really!?" Luffy squeaked, excited. This place was so cool!! They were all so nice to him!

"Yeah." Sanji replied, a small quirk to his lips.

"Yahoo!" Luffy cried and then started stripping down as fast as he could, tripping on the pants and fumbling over the buttons in his haste, and all the while his eyes were focused on the warm stream of water that awaited him. Sanji snorted and walked out, shutting the door behind him and then moving for the stairs, wondering if Zoro was finished yet.

He walked in as Zoro began explaining what had happened in the big top and Nami had a hand on her head and was resting her elbow on the table. Sanji sighed and sat down beside her, listening to Zoro's quiet voice.

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**  
Plushie: Thanks for reading guys! **

**Clarobell: I personally like that ending! Teehee! Don't forget to review!**


	6. Another Stray

**Clarobell: Hey guys! Thanks so much for your reviews! I don't know how many of you noticed, but cursing and swear words have now been banned from reviews, so lease refrain from using them as we will not understand what you're saying! Thank yew!**

**Plushie: Thankyou SOOOOO Much to Momoku! Who drew us fanart of the scene in chapter... four, where Zoro was fixing the slashes on Luffy's face! The link is in my profile, so go on over and have a look! It's a beautiful piece!! Thankyou SOO much to everyone who has reviewed so far as well! It's awesome:D**

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--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 6: Another Stray**_

Around forty-five minutes later, Luffy still hadn't surfaced from the bathroom. Zoro was silent, once again drawing circles on the wood with the pad of his pointer finger. Nami kept rubbing at her head, which was still aching as she hadn't gotten that panadol... hadn't gotten coffee even. And though hot chocolate was nice... it didn't cure a hangover.

"You think he's okay?" Sanji asked, idly leaning back onto one leg on his chair.

"Don't know." Zoro replied softly, shrugging and scratching at a mark on the table before continuing to draw designs and patterns. He had finished his explanation of what happened and how he was feeling only minutes ago. Sometimes he hated how Nami made him talk about it, but he knew it was for the best, and he did tend to feel a bit better about it afterwards.

"Well…" Nami said.

Zoro looked up at her, blinking.

"Well what?" he asked.

"Go and see if he's okay!" she replied and laughed. Zoro jerked.

"Oh." he muttered, and stood moving out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Sanji sent Nami an amused look, and she sent one back. As Zoro approached the bathroom, he could hear singing. He didn't know the song, but there was a repeated sentence of 'Give a hand to the girls who go after the diamond doooolls!' about ten times. It was apparent Luffy didn't actually know the song very well. Well, his circumstances may have meant he only got to hear the song once anyway. Zoro sidled up to the door and listened for a moment before knocking.

"You okay in there kid?" he asked and listened again.

"Oh! Zoro!" and then that was followed by a squeak as Luffy tried to walk across the bath and fell over, "WHOA!" and there was a loud crash followed by laughter and then gurgling. Well… Luffy sounded like he was having a great time. Zoro raised an eyebrow at the door, and then looked up as Sanji walked up the stairs and towards him, inevitably drawn by all the noise that was going on.

"Hey! You okay?" Zoro asked, knocking on the door again. There was more laughter. Luffy was sprawled in the bath, one leg hanging out the side and laughing as loudly as he could as his arms flailed about, trying to stop the spray from hitting his face. Zoro blinked at Sanji.

"He's laughing." he said incredulously. Sanji snorted at that.

"What was all the noise?" he asked.

Nami, who had been left alone downstairs, decided to go up and have a look as well. After all, men could never do anything right. Chuckling to herself at that thought, she came up the stairs to see both Zoro and Sanji staring at the bathroom door.

"I think he fell over." Zoro replied to Sanji and then he rapped his knuckles against the door again, "Oi! Did you fall over in there?"

"It's attacking me! Ha ha! It's attacking me!" Luffy cried, still trying to dodge the spray from the shower from his sprawled position.

"What?" Sanji blinked, looking back at Nami, "Anything in there that can attack him?"

Nami shrugged.

"I suppose there's always those freaky towels that attacked Zoro." and she quirked a smile in said teens direction. Zoro blushed and knocked again on the door, frowning; he didn't really want to remember that…or how embarrassed he's been afterwards. Luffy just laughed louder until Nami put her hands on her hips.

"What's going on?" She asked, listening as Luffy continued calling out that it was attacking him, and that as soon as he got up he was going to kick its butt.

"I think he's talking about the water." Sanji replied

And then Zoro's mind went into overdrive. He'd only been half listening, more focused on listening to Luffy to see if he needed any help, and the more he listened, the more his heart thumped in his chest. His brain finally registered what he _thought_ was happening inside, and that was that Luffy was being attacked by _something_. Let's look at his thought sequence here, _attack… panic… panic… attack! _And thus, we come to the point where Zoro burst through the unlocked door and was left to stare at a very naked Luffy, who was still laughing like a loony bird.

"What's attacking you?" Zoro asked, looking around. Nami sighed and shook her head, lamenting the fact that she would have to replace _another _door. Why Zoro didn't check to see if it was unlocked before bursting it in she'd never know. She'd lost count of how many had been broken in this house.

"He's never gonna grow out of that habit." She said to Sanji, who snorted and walked into the room after Zoro.

Nami turned and walked down the stairs, not wanting to see a naked Luffy. The boy was cute… but no way was she gonna look at him naked. Luffy meanwhile, was trying to point at the water, but it was proving a difficult task, so he twisted in the bath, trying to get up. The water was now pounding into the back of his head as he rested on his hands and knees, and both Zoro and Sanji were getting a perfect view of Luffy's butt.

Sanji sighed and shook his head, sliding his sleeve back so he could turn the shower off. Zoro was blushing crimson, and he turned his face away to stare at the wall which had suddenly become very interesting. He wasn't exactly sure why the wall became so interesting, or why he was blushing... but hell be damned if he was gonna stand there and stare at Luffy's ass. Sanji didn't care. He'd seen Zoro naked too many times to count since they'd first taken him in, not to mention the guys in the locker room when he had gone to school. So it was nothing new to him, but he frowned at the scars and old marks lacing Luffy's back and the rest of his naked body.

"Okay kid, let's have a look." Sanji said, grabbing Luffy's shoulder and turning him around.

Luffy slipped and laughed again before sitting cross legged in the bath and looking up at Sanji obediently with a large grin, all evidence of the makeup he'd been wearing, gone. The cuts on the boy's face were a lot better than he had expected them to be, but there was also large purple bags under his eyes. But then there was the large cuts that had half healed over Luffy's chest in a criss-cross pattern. And the large, purple and black bruises that were on Luffy's sides, most of them near to his ribs. Not to mention, the cuts, scrapes and lacerations that went down the boy's legs. About the only place that was clear of any marks, was Luffy's private area, and his backside. Sanji's mouth dropped open and his eyes widened.

"Shit…" he almost squeaked in shock. He'd seen some bad wounds, Zoro's to be exact, and therefore this was nothing new, but he didn't expect this! The boy's body looked like it was an abstract piece of art. There were so many colours raging over his skin that it wasn't funny! Zoro turned to look as well and his eyes widened as his embarrassment fled.

"Whoa…" he murmured as he saw all the marks that Sanji was staring at. He idly wondered how Luffy could move so freely. He hadn't shown a single sign that he was in any pain yesterday…

"Naa?" Luffy noised, shivering a little before moving to climb out of the bath and put on his old clothes without even drying.

"Hey, hey… whaddya doin?" Zoro asked before grabbing a towel and tossing it to Luffy. He didn't even realize that it was his until he noticed the dark green colour and then he shrugged. What was done, was done.

"Did you wash your hair?" Sanji asked as he searched the cupboard for more bandages to put on Luffy's face as the others had all fallen off and become too soggy and wrinkled.

"Why would I need to do that?" Luffy inquired, tilting his head.

"We'll do that tonight then." The cook commented, smirking as he turned around with the bandages in his hand. Luffy grinned as he wrapped himself in the _huge _fuzzy green towel and snuggled into its warmth. He'd never been treated like this. It was nice!

"Kay!" he agreed, giggling as the fuzzy towel tickled his nose. Zoro rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"You need new clothes is what you need." he commented.

"Why?" Luffy asked, tilting his head at Zoro, who raised an eyebrow. Sanji, by now, had realized that Luffy was better at accepting simple and abrupt answers, than long and lengthy ones. How strange. Zoro had always wanted to know exactly who, what, when, where, why and how. Sighing, the cook realized it must have been the after affect of the boy's grandfather's teaching. Or lack of.

"Because. Now, come on kid." and he moved out of the room, "I think we have some clothes that might fit you."

"Kay!" Luffy chirped and followed, waving to Nami who was standing at the bottom of the stairs and watching. The dark haired boy managed to grab his towel before it fell down though and Nami rolled her eyes, snorted and smiled, a hand in her pocket while the other was on the banister. Her smile fell as they disappeared into the bedroom and she sighed. That was the first time she'd seen the damage done to Luffy's face. How could anybody be so cruel to such a kind and friendly boy? Zoro followed Luffy out, his hands stuffed into his pockets and Nami smiled again as she saw him stick close to Luffy, but try not to show it.

"Zoro's acting like a little dog." she commented to herself before sighing and moving back into the lounge room to watch some tv. Maybe Luffy would be good for Zoro.

Luffy followed Sanji into the cook's room with Zoro, before spotting the bed and racing over to it, giggling as he jumped on it and bounced up and down.

"Hee hee! Bouncy!" he cried, bouncing all over the bed and barely clinging to his towel.

Zoro leaned against the doorframe and watched, still trying to figure out the mystery that was Luffy. He never ever remembered doing anything like this. Well… he had clung to Nami and Sanji, but he had always tried to look like he wasn't doing anything of a sort, and was just there out of sheer coincidence. But Luffy… he wasn't afraid at all to show that he wanted to be there. That he wanted to have fun, or he wanted to hug someone. Deep, deep down in the dark recesses of his mind, he privately wished that he could be like Luffy, and just be able to let himself go like that. But he knew, that would never happen, and he wished Luffy the best of luck at keeping himself that way. Finally, after much bouncing, giggling and towel clinging, Luffy settled on the bed and panted heavily after all of his fun. His face suddenly change to one of worry though as he realised what he'd just been doing. Gramps didn't like him doing things like that… but then, these people were so different! Maybe they wouldn't mind…

He didn't have time to think on it, as mere seconds later, as if by magic, his eyes slid closed and he dropped immediately off to sleep, snoring softly. Simple as that. Sleep came to Luffy easily, as most of the time he had had nothing to do at Gramps' during the day. So he had napped it away. Slept on his measly bed in the corner of a room that had belonged to many, many cats. It had stunk, but Luffy knew better than to complain, and he had just let himself drift to sleep. Zoro blinked.

"Err… Sanji? He's asleep." and he pointed at the boy who was now curled up on the bed. Sanji looked up at him.

"Eh? Oh, that's okay. We'll dress him ourselves. Don't want him to catch a cold eh?" Sanji commented and went back to rummaging around in the cupboard, swearing when something messed up his hair, or caught his ear, or very nearly ripped his suit. Finally, after much more swearing (in which Zoro learned a few new colourful curses that sounded interesting) Sanji emerged from the cupboard with the smallest, but still baggy and most comfortable clothes he could find. Sending one last glare back to the evil cupboard, he moved away from it. Damn, he really should arrange the junk in there…

Flicking his hair back out of his face a little before letting the bang that covered his left eye settle again, he held the clothes up and inspected them. They were old and worn; something he used for when he had to decorate, or do physical work that would ruin his good clothes. But they were comfortable; back from his days in college. He remembered he'd used them for running the track in P.E. but now they were too small. Hopefully they would fit Luffy.

Zoro had moved to the bed and was sitting beside Luffy, watching him with genuine interest. Sanji smirked at this before moving over to the bed as well.

"Can you lift him? I'll slip the shirt on." Sanji instructed. Zoro nodded and lifted Luffy up as carefully as he could without hurting the boy. He held him gently under the arms and kept him steady as Sanji slipped the baggy shirt on, and then lifted Luffy's arms through. The kid was so limp and light!

"Heh. This kid sure is a heavy sleeper eh, Zoro?" Sanji asked as he pulled the shirt down and straightened it out. It very nearly went to Luffy's knees, but it stopped a few centimetres above. Luffy snored softly, his head lolling forward until Sanji carefully pushed it back onto Zoro's shoulder again. The green haired teen shifted a lttle uneasily, uncomfortable with the closeness, but stayed still, holding Luffy steady.

"Okay, now, the pants. You think I should bother with underwear?" Sanji asked, raising a swirly eyebrow at Zoro, who shrugged.

"It looks like he sleeps through anything, so, you probably should." he said as he pressed his chin to Luffy's head to keep it there. Hmm... this actually felt quite comfortable comfortable now that his heart had calmed and he was getting used to the contact. Sitting here and leaning his chin on Luffy's head like this. His eyes drooped a little as he felt sleep tugging at them and then he blinked them open and looked up at Sanji, who nodded and slipped the underwear on, before grabbing the pants and giving them a neat little flick before gently pulling them up and then un-tucking the shirt. He rearranged it and made everything look neat before sighing in satisfaction.

"There, good as new. You mind bringing him downstairs? That way we can keep an eye on him, ne?" Sanji asked. Zoro nodded, restraining himself from yawning.

"Right." and he lifted Luffy into his arms and got off the bed, "He's so light."

Luffy's head lolled backwards and Zoro shifted, trying to position him better, but quickly began to lose control of Luffy's limp limbs.

"Ah, little help?" Zoro asked. Sanji paused and turned, sniggering before gently rearranging Luffy's limbs in the hold, and then pressing Luffy's head against Zoro's shoulder. Once the boy looked comfortable, Sanji stepped back and smiled.

"Let's show Nami-san our good work." he said. Zoro rolled his eyes.

"You _are _obsessed with her." he commented, brushing gently past Sanji and then moving out the door.

Sanji snorted and followed, his hands in his pockets as the two made their way downstairs. Nami looked up as Zoro moved into her sight, Luffy in his arms. Pausing in the lounge room door, He looked around for somewhere to put him, but couldn't find anywhere so he decided to settle into one of the single lounge chairs and lay Luffy across his lap, legs hanging over the edge while his head rested on the armrest. A small smile tugged at Zoro's lips as he watched Luffy snuggle against the soft, plushie material under his head. Nami smirked and then looked up again as Sanji walked in.

"The kid sleeps like a rock." he commented to Nami as he waved a hand at Luffy and frowned, "But his body's a mess. Lift his shirt up, Marimo."

Sanji didn't call Zoro names that often, but when he did, it was usually said as a nickname and not as an offensive term. Zoro frowned a little at being called Marimo, but after being called it on and off for the past six months, he was getting used to it. Carefully lifting Luffy's shirt, he turned the boy a little so Nami, who was leaning forward, could see.

"Wow… he's really been through the mill." she said, shaking her head.

"That pie's eating my sandwich! Naaa!" Luffy whined in his sleep before twisting his shoulder a little and shivering in the light cool air that was hitting his exposed skin. Zoro gave a short snort and lowered the kid's shirt again as Nami raised an eyebrow, and Sanji bit his lip, trying not to laugh.

"He's nuts." Zoro commented.

"Damn straight." Sanji replied as he sat down in another of the single armchairs and crossed his legs. Adopting a thoughtful look, Sanji let his head rest back against the soft pillow of the headrest.

"He doesn't seem to know very much, and, I don't know how you guys feel, but I was thinking maybe it's not such a good idea to take him to the police. They'll just put him into care, and the nearest care home is…" and he trailed off, looking at Zoro with concerned eyes. The green haired teen stiffened, but pretended he hadn't heard anything, as Zoro was oft to do when these types of subjects came up. So he interested himself in watching the people on tv, even though it was a lovey dovey movie that he hated. Nami nodded.

"Yeah, I agree with Sanji." she said, snapping the tension in the room before turning to Sanji and mouthing at him, "That's why we didn't take Zoro to the police." Sanji nodded and then looked back at Zoro, who was still focused ignorantly on the television.

"So, I don't know how you guys feel, but I don't mind taking in another stray." he commented, smirking at Zoro. For the last few months, it had been a running joke (once Zoro had understood what a joke was, and that it wasn't true) that they'd taken in a 'stray' and were looking after it so it could be released into the 'wild'. Zoro snorted.

"Bastard…" he muttered which made Sanji give a short bark of laughter and then he looked at Nami, who sighed.

"I guess we can take in another one. But… we may have to kick Zoro out." and she shrugged and looked at him, amusement twinkling in her eyes. Zoro jerked.

"Eh?" he asked, looking between them and panicking slightly. Sanji sniggered and Zoro sighed as he realized it had only been a joke.

"Nami-san is so wonderful when she's being mean!" Sanji cooed.

"Ah, shut up." Zoro said.

Sanji was tempted to poke his tongue out at Zoro, but he was a man! And he wouldn't do such things! So instead, he grabbed the bottom of an eyelid, and _then _poked his tongue out. Zoro raised an eyebrow at the childish tactic… before repeating it right back at Sanji again. Nami sighed.

"Thank you Sanji-kun." she said in a tone that suggested Sanji should quit while he was ahead. Luffy twisted on Zoro's lap for a second, before curling into a ball so tight, that he was on Zoro's lap, _with _room to spare on either side. Hands gripped at the fabric of Zoro's shirt and the green haired teen looked down at him, one eyebrow still raised.

"Damn. Who knew the human body could smoosh that small?" Sanji commented, leaning forward to get a better look.

"I don't think even cats can curl up that small." Zoro added. Nami turned back to the tv.

"Anyone thought about where he's going to sleep?" she asked, "The spare room isn't really set up for guests…"

Zoro looked at her.

"He can sleep in my room. I'll sleep on the couch down here." he said, trying not to sound too eager. He liked the lights and the moon that filtered into the lounge room. It made him feel safer if he wasn't in the dark.

"You sure?" Sanji asked, rocking one foot to the beat of the music that was playing on the tv. Zoro nodded enthusiatically.

"Yeah!" and then he blinked and looked away. He'd let himself go a bit there… shouldn't have done that.

"You just want to be near the lights." Nami commented, her tone amused while she watched the screen in front of her. Zoro shrugged, a little ashamed that he'd been discovered.

"Yeah. So what?" he replied in a soft, but almost defiant tone. Sanji smirked at that. It wasn't often that Zoro tried to respond and be defiant, but when he did, Sanji had to laugh. It was too damn funny not to. To see Zoro glaring at Nami through narrowed eyes, and then see Nami simply throw him a raised eyebrow as the teen quickly subsided. It really was funny.

"You're going to have to put up with the dark sooner or later. I thought you were over that?" she asked, studying him carefully. Zoro shrugged again.

"I am. Sort of…" he replied. Sanji had to smile at that response and he shrugged himself.

"It's fine with me, as long as you don't snore loudly when I get up in the morning." he said, contributing his two cents worth and unwittingly coming to Zoro's rescue. A roll of the eyes from both Nami and Zoro was all he got in return.

"Che, whatever." Zoro added onto his eye roll. Sanji studied Luffy again.

"The kid's skinny. I was thinking maybe we should start him on small foods eh? So… what do you guys want for lunch?" he asked, biting the inside of his cheek as he looked from Zoro to Nami. Luffy's head shot up and he looked around with bleary eyes while still curled up. Kind of like a dog that's scented food but doesn't want to get up to get it.

"Lunch?" he asked and then yawned. Zoro blinked and then smirked.

"Oh, you wake up for food huh?" he joked.

"Food?" Luffy echoed and brightened even further, as he uncurled and stretched. He grinned widely, "Are we gonna eat?" and he looked around at them all, seemingly unhased by the fact he was sitting on Zoro's lap. Nami smiled at the boy's cuteness and looked up as Sanji stood.

"Whatever you want to make Sanji-kun." She said. Sanji stretched a little bit and yawned himself before smiling.

"I know it's weird at this time of day, but, pancakes anyone?" he asked.

Zoro twitched at the suggestion. He was really quite happy to eat whatever Sanji gave him, as for the past eighteen years he'd been living off of mouldy porridge, and occasionally an apple and water. And it was better than not eating. Sanji caught the twitch, and he had learned that that twitch meant Zoro was interested, and wanted what he had suggested. Though Zoro would never admit that. He smirked and looked to Nami to make sure that was what she wanted.

"Sounds good to me Sanji-kun." she replied.

"What's a pancake?" Luffy asked, looking around and still sitting on Zoro's lap. Sanji sighed.

"How about I make it and you just find out for yourself, eh?" he replied, a little annoyed with all the questions. Luffy blinked at him, and almost seemed to sense that and so he nodded seriously.

"Kay…" he replied before turning and his eyes widened as if he'd only just noticed that he was sitting on Zoro's lap (which he probably had), "Hi Zoro!" and he snuggled against the older teen. Sanji walked into the kitchen, shaking his head a little. He could tell he was going to have to seriously push his temper down with this kid. He'd only just begun to be able to talk to Zoro without having to shove back his anger. Luffy, though cute, was probably going to cost him a lot more cigarettes.

In the lounge room, Zoro twitched and gulped as Luffy pressed against him and wrapped his arms tight around his ribs.

"Umm… h-hi." he replied, not feeling at all comfortable. He was resisting the temptation to shove Luffy off of him, and he seemed to be winning, until Luffy squeezed his arms extra tight.

"Zoro's warm…" he murmured as he nuzzled Zoro's chest, and then he couldn't take it anymore. Nami was watching in apprehension, hoping that Zoro could do it this time. Abruptly, Zoro stood up, knocking Luffy from his lap at the same time.

"Bathroom." he said, his voice trembling and then he moved to the door, and left, leaving a stunned Luffy on the floor.

Nami didn't bother to mention the fact that there was a bathroom right near them. Sighing, she put a hand to her forehead and shook it. She'd really hoped Zoro could do it this time. Luffy, starting to get used to this by now, got up and crawled over to Nami's legs and curled up against them instead, snuggling against her soft pants. He looked up at her with those big eyes that Nami was slowly beginning to notice were Luffy's eyes that indicated he wanted to know something.

"Why did gramps leave me?" he asked softly. Nami started. She'd expected to be asked about Zoro, and why he had done that. That question wasn't expected at all. She sighed.

"I don't know Luffy. He wasn't good to you though, you understand? He was very bad to you Luffy. He should not have done those things to you at all." she said, using her firm tone again. She wanted Luffy to understand that his 'grandfather' had done horrible things, and then Luffy wouldn't want to go near him again. The boy tilted his head.

"Why not?" he asked, thinking that everyone else had to go through the same thing. It was natural… right? That happened to everyone! Of course it did; and if it didn't, it was most likely that it happened to him because he was too stupid to do things right. He yawned and laid his head on Nami's knees, hugging her legs and curling his legs under him. His hug with Zoro had been cut short, so now he wanted more affection again. Gramps never let him hug anyone or anything and hugs were so nice!

"Because it was mean. It's not allowed to happen to people. No one should be put through anything like that. Not you, not Zoro… no one." she explained. Something clicked in Luffy's mind.

"Did it happen to Zoro?" he asked, looking up at her again with wide eyes, "Is that why he's mean sometimes?" Nami sighed.

"Yeah… but, I don't want to say anything. He told me what happened so I could understand him, and not so I could tell everyone about it. It's his life, and should be treated as such. He might tell you one day, but it's not my place." she said softly. Zoro was in fact sitting on the stairs, listening to the whole conversion, hands clasped on his knees as he stared at nothing.

He sighed heavily upon Nami's statement. No one but her would know fully what had happened to him... but, even she didn't know the worst of it. He would never, ever admit to ANYONE what had happened to him during those years of his life at the orphanage. Luffy was cute, Luffy was his friend… but he'd be damned if he was going to tell the kid what had happened to him. Still… maybe Luffy'd be able to understand him better than Nami could… Shaking his head, Zoro stood and moved up the stairs, but not before he'd heard Luffy's last remark.

"That's ok! Zoro's the coolest! I wanna be just like him!" Zoro winced at this statement before shaking his head.

"You don't want to be like me kid." he whispered as he moved up onto the second level and then went to his room and quietly closed the door behind him, something he didn't do very often. Throwing himself onto his bed, Zoro let out a loud sigh and then closed his eyes, trying to get some sleep.

Nami didn't hear anything downstairs, but she smiled as Luffy yawned tiredly and his eyes drooped. Tentatively, she reached down to run a hand through his hair and see if it had the same affect that it had on Zoro. She was rewarded when a light snore reached her ears and she could see that Luffy was fast asleep. Sighing, Nami leaned back into her chair and let Luffy lean against her. Although she kept her eyes on the tv, she didn't see what was happening on there.

Her mind was mulling over the thoughts of Luffy and Zoro, and what she could do to help both of them at the same time. Not normally generous, Nami had learned that there were worse things in the world than not getting the money she was owed by some ignorant bastard from a poker game the other night. Zoro had taught her that, and Luffy had now firmly embedded it into her head.

It occurred to her then, that perhaps having two people who were so alike, yet so different, could potentially cause a lot of trouble, but she dismissed it. Zoro could handle it, and Luffy was an affectionate creature… so it would all work out! She had to stay optimistic about it. A small sigh from Luffy and Nami ran her hands through his hair again and he smiled and fairly purred into the touch. Smirking, she pulled her hand away and wiggled her fingers.

"Magic touch." and she chuckled.

---

To say Sanji was a little miffed that Zoro had left to go upstairs, and Luffy had fallen asleep, was an understatement. He gave an aggravated sigh upon seeing that Luffy was asleep, and Zoro was gone and then went back into the kitchen, muttering a few choice curses which made Nami laugh at him from the lounge room. He'd been back in high spirits after that, as Nami had reminded him that she would still eat with him.

She'd hefted Luffy onto the couch so he could remain sleeping, quite shocked at how easily she'd managed to lift his light weight, before going to join Sanji in the kitchen. It was quite rare that the two had alone time together with Zoro, and now Luffy around, and so they savoured what they had. They quietly discussed the changes that would be made to accommodate their new house guest and checked with each other that the other didn't actually mind doing this before they committed to letting Luffy stay. Agreeing in front of Zoro was one thing, but when they were alone, they always double checked.

Finding everything in order, they agreed that later today, Sanji would go out to buy a new bed, some sheets and maybe order some new furniture for his old room, which would now be Luffy's, and fix it up this evening. Nami would stay home to watch the boys and make sure they stayed calm and comfortable. She would show Luffy around the house and get him used to things. It was still pretty early, only being around 1pm, and so finishing up his breakfast and leaving the washing up for Zoro (which was one of his chores), he slipped on his shoes, grabbed his coat and wallet and slipped out the door.

Luffy slept the rest of the day away and Zoro spent most of it with Nami. The three of them had spent the majority of the day working together to sort out the room. When the younger boy still hadn't woken by the evening when his new room was set up, they decided to let him continue sleeping, and Sanji carried him up to bed, not bothering to change him out of the clothes and closing the door over. Tomorrow would be interesting.

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**Clarobell: Once again thank you for reading, and please let us know what you think. Again, feel free to ask about anything you don't understand!**

**Plushie: don't forget to check out the fanart!! And as Claro said, any questions, don't hesitate to ask:D Thanks again! **


	7. ABC's

**IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE! PLEASE READ!**

**Clarobell: Hey guys, now you remember we said we weren't going to answer anonymous reviews with no email? Well, this is an exception because were asked a question that needs to be answered. Shadow wolf having noticed that we have noted in our profile's that 69 chapters of DD are completed, asked if we could release more than one chapter a week. Unfortunately, we can't actually do that. You see, 69 chapters have been written, but only 20 have been corrected so far and at some point in the near future it looks likely that I will be losing my internet access, therefore, they will not BE corrected as both myself and Plushie need to agree on a chapter before deeming it finished. Because of this, we've decided to release one chapter a week, therefore giving you regular updates for _at least_ 20 weeks, you see? Rather than a long 'dry period' with no updates you will have one chapter a week and I don't know about you, but after a long time of no updates, I find it hard to get back into a fic, and we don't want that happening to our readers. If I do not lose my internet, we will most likely end up making it two chapters a week and such, but until I'm sure, the updates will remain as they are. **

**Plushie: Yeah, sorry about that guys. We're trying to make this fic as good as possible, and to do that, we need that time to correct and fix it all up, because without clarobell's corrections... err... my general writing up of this is pretty shit. On the other hand, thank you everyone for reviewing!! And don't forget to keep doing so:D**

**Clarobell: Also, please keep in mind that I am at work now and so do not have much time for corrections. We're doing our best.**

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--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 7: ABC's**_

Luffy woke up lying in a nice warm bed. He hadn't been lying in one of those when he went to sleep. Blinking a little, he got up and peered at the bed before quickly making it and wondering where Zoro had gone. With a smile, he hurried to his green haired friends room and peered in the door, blinking when he didn't see Zoro there. He moved in and crouched down, glancing under the bed, thinking that Zoro might have been hiding for some reason, but no, there was just some old stuff covered in a layer of dust. Making a small noise in the back of his throat, Luffy hoped he hadn't made Zoro mad and made him leave! He didn't want Zoro to go! He should have hugged him like that yesterday! Turning around, he blinked as he saw Sanji standing there, smirking.

"What are you up to?" he asked, much like a father would cheekily ask a little kid. Luffy blinked though and his face became worried.

"I… didn't mean to be in here! I'm sorry!" Luffy quickly said, bowing his head. Sanji sighed and rolled his eyes, still smirking.

"You're not in trouble Luffy. You just weren't in bed, that's all. I wondered where you were. So, what are you doing?" he shrugged as he walked in. Luffy relaxed upon seeing that Sanji wasn't going to yell, hit or hurt him in any way.

"I was looking for Zoro. He's not mad at me, is he?" Luffy asked, blinking large eyes up at Sanji, who raised an eyebrow.

"No. He's downstairs in the kitchen with Nami." Sanji replied, "You didn't do anything wrong Luffy." and he brushed a hand over Luffy's head, ruffling the dark locks. Luffy grinned. These people really were nice.

"Okay mister!" and he bounced out. Sanji blinked and then shook his head,

"My name's Sanji kid, and the 'lady' is Nami"

"Oh" Luffy noised before smiling and bolting from the from. Sighing, Sanji followed him out. He had a feeling Nami would need him to help explain Zoro's situation. Running down the stairs, Luffy paused upon hearing Zoro's uncertain voice.

"How… d-does th… the…"

Tilting his head, listening as Zoro continued slowly on, the boy moved a little closer. Creeping to the door, he peeked in to see Nami sitting at the table, while Zoro squinted at a large book in his hands. Sighed as he sat back in the chair, the green haired teen sent a glare the books way.

"It's okay. Just sound it out." Nami coached, trying to get Zoro to continue.

Zoro's lips twisted in annoyance for a moment before he leaned back over and began trying to read the next sentence. Luffy tilted his head and walked in, placing himself in the chair adjacent to Zoro, who immediately stopped reading and fell silent, a light flush covering his cheeks.

"What are you doing?" Luffy asked, genuinely interested. Zoro didn't reply, and just sat with his head bowed while Nami sighed.

"He's reading, Luffy." she said with a smile.

"Ooooh." Luffy noised and then blinked, "Why?"

He reached over and gently pulled the book towards him, Zoro having put it down and placed his hands in his lap. Blinking down at it, Luffy tilted his head and then chuckled at the picture of man dressed in a funny outfit, looked up at a girl in a tall tower, her hair dangling down to him. Zoro blushed further, thinking Luffy was laughing at him.

"That man looks funny. But there's all those squiggly things. What do they say?" and he looked at Nami, who blinked.

"Don't… you know how to read?" she asked and Luffy shook his head.

"Gramps didn't see the point. He said I was too messed up in the head to learn anything." and he shrugged. Zoro raised his head slightly, blinking at Luffy.

"Oh, well, Zoro can take a break and would you like to learn Luffy?" Nami asked.

Zoro let out a soft sigh of relief. Reading was very hard for him; writing too. He just couldn't get the words to sound like he wanted them to. Nami, who had moved around to Luffy's side of the table, picked up the book and flipped it back to the beginning, keeping her thumb at the place Zoro had been up to. Moving into the room, Sanji dropped into the vacated seat beside Zoro, and watched as Nami began teaching Luffy how to read.

She was pointing at the letters on the page, and telling Luffy what they were and then making the sound that they made when spoken. Luffy was entranced. He had no idea you could put words on paper. It was amazing! Finally, after half an hour of sounding out the letters and getting Luffy to repeat them, the boy started memorising. He was a little shaky and ofen mistook one for another, but seemed genuinely eager to learn more. It took barely another hour before Luffy started to jerkily piece the letters together and read them aloud. He frequently pronounced them wrong and a lot of the time, simply sounded out the individual letters in the word, but he was leaning very quickly for somebody who'd never read before. Zoro, who had listened in the whole time, frowned a little jealously. It had taken him a good week to memorise the alphabet, and he still sometimes made mistakes from time to time. He'd been learning to read for two months now, and could barely cough out a sentence without Nami's help.

"Wooow… I like reading." Luffy chirped, grinning at Zoro, who sent a half hearted smile back. He probably would too… if he could do it.

"It's fun, isn't it kid?" Sanji asked, smirking at the boy who was beaming across the table at them. Nami felt a small twinge of pity for the sad look that crossed Zoro's face. Reading wasn't so fun for him...

"Uh huh! Your turn Zoro!" Luffy replied, very happy with himself. Zoro glanced at the book and frowned, turning his face away from it and not speaking.

"Come on Marimo. You can do it." Sanji encouraged, trying to get Zoro to at least try. It must have been the wrong thing to say though, as Zoro pushed himself away from the table and then moved out of the room, taking the book with him and not speaking a word to anyone. Luffy blinked as Nami sighed and Sanji shook his head.

"Doesn't Zoro like reading?" Luffy asked, looking at Nami who smiled softly.

"No. Not really." she replied and Luffy tilted his head.

"Why?"

"He has a learning disability called Dyslexia." Sanji explained and Luffy became even more confused. He'd never heard of anything like that, and what was a learning disability? Sensing his confusion, Nami smiled.

"A learning disability means that Zoro can't learn as well as you can. And the disability he has, makes it very, very hard for him to be able to read, and write." she explained and Luffy nodded.

"So… Zoro was upset because I could read, and he couldn't?" he asked and Nami nodded.

"That's right. It took him a long time to learn what you just did. But Zoro's very smart in other areas. He can do mathematics very well." she replied.

"Really? Cool… what's mathematics?" and Sanji snorted and chuckled.

"Mathematics is anything to do with numbers. Like one plus one equals two. He can do equations I'd never even attempt." the blonde commented, shaking his head a little. Luffy looked at them in awe. Mathematics sounded complicated, and Zoro could do it? Wow. Zoro must have been really smart. Maybe Zoro would teach him how to do the mathematics thing? Ooh! Now he wanted to learn! Getting up, Luffy hopped from one foot to the other.

"Where're you going?" Sanji asked and Luffy looked down at him.

"Would Zoro teach me the mathematics thing? It sounds really cool!"

"Uh…" Nami noised, not sure if Luffy should go near Zoro right now. He hadn't looked very calm when he'd left, and though she knew Zoro would never hurt Luffy intentionally… she was a little worried that he would be jealous.

"I'll go and get him. You wait here and talk to Nami-san, ok?" Sanji asked quickly, as he stood up and moved out.

"Kay!" and Luffy dropped back into his seat again, grinning from ear to ear. Learning was fun.

---

Sanji paused as he heard Zoro trying to read in his room. He growled and there was a sharp snap that the cook took to be Zoro slapping the book shut. Poking his head in, he had to suppress a smile as he saw Zoro glaring darkly at the book, as if promising it much pain if it didn't do what he wanted.

"Hey," he said as he walked in and Zoro looked up at him, still lightly flushed, "You know, you don't have to force yourself to read right now. Give yourself some time. It's not as if you need to be a fluent reader tomorrow."

"Luffy can do it…" Zoro muttered as though that were an explanation. Sanji shrugged.

"So? Just means he won't be as good in some other area as you are. He learnt to read fast, you learned your mathematics fast." the blonde said, standing over Zoro before leaning down, "And, he wants to learn how to do the 'mathematics thing' from you." and Zoro looked up slowly.

"He… does?" he asked and then a small smile spread across his face as he bowed his head slightly and then he got up and sent one last glare at the book before following Sanji out again.

Teaching Luffy mathematics proved to be a difficult task, and more than once Zoro was tempted to 'screw the whole thing over', to quote Sanji when something went wrong. But he kept at it, and by early evening, the boy had learnt how to add and subtract the small numbers when Nami said that that was enough, and if they kept going, they wouldn't get to watch the movie that was coming on TV.

That had stopped their session together as Zoro skittered into the room and took his favourite seat in the sofa by the door, and Luffy looked confused before he grinned and followed, dropping to sit at Zoro's feet and wriggling around until he was comfortable and the lower parts of Zoro's legs were on either side of his shoulders. He was comfortable here. It was warm, and snugly and the TV looked so interesting. Grinning widely, Luffy wrapped his arms around the bottom part of Zoro's leg and hugged it tight as he watched. The green haired teen twitched a little, but didn't make a move to stop him as Nami and Sanji walked in and settled on the other sofa.

Half an hour later found Luffy asleep, head resting against Zoro's thigh as he breathed in and out deeply and slowly. As the sun came round and shone in through the window onto the TV, Nami had closed the curtains and moved to sit down in the three person lounge beside Zoro, and Sanji had settled beside her. The movie had been one that Zoro had been really in to, (even though he had seen it at least ten times already), and it was about a man named 'Van Helsing' who fought against Dracula and the Wolf Man.

A good movie… both Nami and Sanji were becoming bored with it, but Zoro still loved watching it. It was funny though, because every once and a while, Sanji would let out a loud yawn and Zoro would shoot an angry glare at him before turning back to the screen again. Sanji smirked at this. An ad came on and Zoro looked down at Luffy, moving his toes a little to try and wake his feet up.

"I guess he can sleep anywhere, ne?" Sanji asked, leaning forward slightly to peer at the boy. Zoro shrugged, not really caring as somehow his fingers idly found a small lock of Luffy's hair and he began gently fiddling with it. Nami looked down at the sleeping boy and smiled softly, reaching out a hand and running it through the boy's hair before pausing and leaning over to check his bandages to make sure they were still tight and holding up. They had been changed that morning and would probably have to be changed again before bed. Luffy hummed at the contact, a small smile spreading across his face. Nami raised an eyebrow at the boy and then looked at Zoro, who really didn't look interested as he yawned widely and covered it with a hand.

"Yuck…" she said suddenly, "I think he needs to have his hair washed." Drawing her fingers away, Nami wriggled them and then wiped them on Zoro's shoulder and shirt.

"Hey!" the teen complained, shrugging away from Nami and sending a light glare at her.

"Well, I doubt he can do it himself…" Sanji commented, scratching at his own chin for a moment before letting his eyes rest on Luffy. Nami shrugged.

"Well, if he's anything like Zoro, he'll probably fall asleep and drown while _you're _washing his hair." and Nami smirked at Sanji wryly. Zoro let out a soft 'hmph', before fiddling with that lock of Luffy's hair again. Sanji smirked right back at Nami.

"I'm going, I'm going." he responded as Nami giggled lightly and he got to his feet. Stretching a little, Sanji yawned and then crouched down in front of Luffy, "You two can help." and he laughed, sending a short look at Nami. Luffy made no response, still fast asleep against Zoro's leg. Zoro shrugged and yawned again, hiding it behind a hand.

"Whatever…" he responded, not really caring. He was tired and Nami had just switched off the tv. He was a little grumpy that he had only seen the beginning of his favourite movie. Nami sighed as she put the remote down.

"If you insist." she added. Sanji nodded with a small smile before shaking Luffy gently.

"Hey kid, c'mon, wake up…" he called softly,

Zoro tensed slightly as Luffy moved down his leg a little. The boy showed no signs of waking, and therefore Zoro decided it was time for drastic action.

"Food." he said with a slightly raised eyebrow. Instantly, Luffy's head rose upwards and he blinked around the room blearily before settling eyes on Sanji.

"Food?" he asked. Zoro grinned triumphantly at Sanji, who smirked at the boy in front of him. Nami smiled down at Luffy for a moment before her smile became a large grin and she made a small 'squee' noise.

"So cute!" she squeaked while Luffy looked confused.

"Naa?" he asked, confused as to why Nami was making funny noises. Zoro rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly.

"Bath time kid." Sanji commented as he got to his feet again and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Bath?" Luffy asked, confused. He hadn't had a bath since… Gramps'.

"You'll see. Come on!" Sanji smirked as he moved out of the room, Nami trailing after him. Zoro gently nudged Luffy away from him before getting to his feet and waiting for the kid to stand before following the two out of the room. Blinking for a moment, Luffy got to his feet and stretched slightly before smiling.

"'Kay." and he followed after Sanji, Zoro at his side. As they moved up the stairs, Sanji glanced back at Luffy and grimaced slightly before turning to Nami.

"We'll have to mind the cuts on his face, Nami-san." he said quietly. She nodded in agreement and thought for a moment.

"Just hold a wet washer over his face. That should solve it…" Nami nodded and Sanji nodded in agreement as they reached the top of the stairs.

Luffy followed behind them, not saying a word if he did notice that they were talking about him like he wasn't there. He was used to it. Gramps ALWAYS talked about him when he was standing right there, and he'd learnt to just ignore it rather than succumb to the bait. For if he said anything in disagreement, or even twitched in shame or disappointment, he was beaten until he could barely move.

Sanji moved into the bathroom and started the hot water running in the bathtub, pushing up his sleeves as he did so. Nami ducked into the room after him, leaving Luffy and Zoro to saunter up the hall alone. Looking down at Luffy, Zoro smiled slightly.

"Ever had a bath Luffy?" he asked. Luffy blinked up at him before his eyebrows creased as he thought. Moving into the bathroom, Luffy's eyes turned to the bathtub and then they lit up in recognition.

"Yeah! Yeah I have! I can hold my breath for a long time now too!" and he grinned up at Zoro as if that was the correct answer. Sanji glanced over at Luffy, his own eyebrows slightly furrowed. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the meaning of that sentence, but Zoro seemed to understand and he blinked for a minute.

"Uh… no… we're not going to push your head under, Luffy. You can keep your head above the water." Zoro nodded, attempting to placate the boy, but instead of calming him, it served to confuse him even more.

"But… that's not a bath…" he replied in a confused fashion. Nami, who had been rattling around in the medicine cupboard, finally pulled out the bottle of shampoo she had been looking for and she turned around and handed the shampoo to Sanji.

"This is a _real_ bath. What you had was a… a fake one." Nami explained, attempting simple terms so Luffy would understand quicker. It was easier than trying to tell him that his Gramps was bad, and that he had in fact been attempting to drown him.

"Oh! Okay then!" and he looked down at the water, peering at his foggy reflection in the small, rippling waves, "So, what do you do in this one? In the 'fake' one, Gramps made me kneel there," and he pointed to the side of the bath, basically where Sanji was crouching, "And then he grabbed my head and pushed me under. Sometimes, it'd make me go to sleep for a while…" and he tilted his head, smiling as though it were nothing. The 'sleep' as Luffy called it, was in fact asphyxiation. In other words, Luffy had been drowning and then had fallen unconscious before his grandfather had pulled him out again.

By the side of the bath, Sanji cursed quietly, narrowing his eyes in anger as he glared at his own foggy reflection. Nami was having similar nasty thoughts as Sanji was, about Luffy's 'Gramps'. Where Sanji was having particularly nasty thoughts about getting hold of the old bastard and shoving _his _head under the water in the bathtub, Nami was having more practical thoughts about finding out this man's name and dissolving all his assets. She could do that. It certainly wouldn't be hard once she had his name, and phone number. Address would probably be handy too.

Zoro was averting his eyes slightly, feeling nasty towards Luffy's grandfather too. But he was also thinking that he was grateful they hadn't had baths at the orphanage. They had had a measly cold shower for five minutes once a week, but that was it, so Zoro could fully appreciate Luffy's liking of showers that weren't cold, and weren't cut short... most times. He was grateful they hadn't had baths at the orphanage, because he was sure that Alvida would have done the same thing… but then… she'd never really been interested in killing him. She had been more interested in torture, and having 'fun' with him. Shaking the thoughts from his head, Zoro turned back to Luffy again. The boy was looking a little confused, and frightened by the angry looks on Nami and Sanji's faces. It was his voice that broke the uneasy silence.

"You don't do that with this one. You get undressed, like you're gonna have a shower and then get in the water, and sit down. And you keep your head above water." Zoro explained bluntly with a small smile. Nami was drawn from her thoughts by Zoro's voice and she smiled as well, nodding in agreement. Luffy suddenly looked very uneasy. His eyes widened slightly and his back rose, almost like a cat that had spotted something it didn't like.

"You get _in_ the water?" he asked, his fingers kneading thin air.

Zoro blinked and nodded. Sanji paused by the bath and looked over, his eyes watching Luffy carefully in case something bad happened. Blinking in confusion, Nami went to say something when Luffy let out a soft hiss. He sounded so incredibly cat like that Zoro blinked in slight amazement.

"I-I don't want to!" Luffy said, his eyes fixed on the water and wide as he backed away, shaking his head from side to side and still kneading his hands on thin air. It was the first time that Luffy had made a rebellious move against them, and Nami watched in concern as Luffy finally backed against the wall, and stopped.

"Come on Luffy… it's okay." she soothed, reaching down and gently dipping her hand in the water, splashing it just a little bit to show him that it wasn't going to hurt.

But Nami didn't understand, that while Luffy had been living with his Gramps, he hadn't exactly been _raised _by him. In fact, Luffy had been forced to sleep with the many cats that used their apartment as a nesting ground. Gramps called them his, but didn't really treat any better than Luffy. Maybe a little better, in the sense that he didn't make them do everything for him.

But, being raised by the cats, the boy had mimicked their actions, movements and noises. It had alsogiven Luffy a natural fear of large bodies of water, and that fear was manifesting itself now. He could be next to water, and partially submerged, but the thought of getting into water was unbearable. The fear had stemmed from when Gramps had got fed up with the over hoard of cats and had locked them all in the bathroom with Luffy whilst her drowned half of them in the bath, one by one in front of the boy, swearing that if he stepped out of line, he would be next. Around them, the cats had scattered and growled and hissed, looking for an escape.

Luffy flinched at the motion Nami made with the water and he let out another soft hiss as he looked about ready to run. Standing, Sanji readied himself just in case Luffy did run and he had to go after him as Luffy's feet twitched restlessly on the floor. Zoro watched him for a moment before he got an idea. But… he didn't want to do it with Nami around. It wasn't because he was ashamed, but, it was because of the fact that Nami was a girl, and…

Alvida had been a girl too.

He didn't want _her _to see him, so he twitched and kept his idea to himself. The good thing for Sanji while Zoro had been living with them, was that the chef had learned to read people better. He could tell that Zoro had an idea, and he was fairly sure he knew what it was, but he could also tell from the way he was glancing furtively at Nami that he didn't want her in the room.

"Oi, Zoro, why don't you get in with your boxers on. It's not as if Nami-san hasn't seen your chest, eh?" Sanji asked, hoping that would clear up that little problem. Zoro's eyes trailed over to him and for a minute, it looked like Zoro was going to refuse but then he smiled slightly and nodded. Turning back to Luffy, Zoro began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Hey, Luffy, look!" he called and the boy's eyes trailed to him as Zoro stripped down to his boxers and then got in the bath, sitting down and turning to smirk at Luffy, "It's okay!" Luffy still looked nervous, but he crept closer with his hands clasped tightly together in front of him to stop them from trembling.

"I… don't like big waters…" he said, glancing from the water in the tub to Zoro, who tilted his head slightly and smiled.

"But look, I'm in here and it's not that big, and I'll make sure you're okay, ne?" he promised.

That seemed to do the trick, for Luffy seemed to relax a little. Nami smiled at Zoro, and her eyes glanced over the thin scars tracing his upper torso, and the big rip scars in his back but she didn't comment on them. They'd actually faded just a little bit from the last time she'd seen them. Smiling a little nervously, Luffy crept closer again and peered at the water, and then Zoro again.

"'Kay Zoro…" he said before slowly undressing.

Nami moved around him, pausing to hand the washer to Zoro before moving to the other side of the room, where there was a steel cabinet that made for a good mirror. Averting her eyes while Luffy was naked and climbing into the bath, she looked back once the splashing had subsided, and she was given a picture of Zoro, and Luffy's heads and upper torsos, but nothing more.

She would watch from here to make sure everything went okay. Luffy had settled between Zoro's legs, and this had made the older teen more than a little nervous, but he wasn't panicking, just nervous. Laying his head on Zoro's chest, Luffy heard the catch in Zoro's breathing, and the increased beating of his heart, so he stayed still. After a while, Zoro's heart began to beat slower and Luffy smiled softly.

"This feels nice… warm…" he said quietly before yawning widely and blinking blearily. Sanji smirked at the boy, looking between him and Zoro.

"Good. See? Nothing to be afraid of, right Zoro?" Sanji asked and looked to the older of the two teens in front of him. Zoro didn't respond straight away as he tried to get a hold of his runaway panic. Finally, he managed to stop it and he let out a soft, shuddering sigh as he attempted a nervous smile.

"Y-Yeah…" he replied softly. Sanji was pleased with the answer and he reached over and ruffled Zoro's hair with a smirk.

"At a boy!" he praised as he pushed his other sleeve up and grabbed the shampoo bottle.

"Fold the washer up and put it over his forehead, and make sure no soap gets in those wounds." Nami cautioned, still in her position on the other side of the room. Zoro blinked at the cloth before wetting it and doing as he was told, holding it with one hand while the other was grasping the bath tub's edge against the wall. He was attempting to keep himself calm by gripping that edge, and for the moment, it was working.

Luffy shifted at that point though, turning and gently leaning his back against Zoro's chest, closing his eyes with a sigh and a wide smile. Zoro gulped a little nervously, but he forced his shaking to be confined to that one hand. This NEEDED to be done. It wasn't a situation he could just panic in. Sanji poured some of the shampoo on his hands and lathered it up before starting on Luffy's head, massaging it gently into the boy's hair.

"Wanna help, Zoro?" he asked as he worked around the boy's dark locks. Luffy let out a mewling noise, his eyes closed in delight at the feeling. Zoro clenched his hand tighter on the edge and blinked, before shaking his head and concentrating on keeping the hand that was holding the washer to Luffy's head, steady.

"Okay then." Sanji responded as he scrubbed a little harder at Luffy's scalp, massaging it and making the boy squeal in delight, much like a baby or child would. He ducked his head slightly at the tingling and tickling sensations, letting a little giggle out as he did so. This was so nice! It was like nothing he had ever experienced before. Smiling fondly down at him, Sanji moved his hands around some more, weaving the hair around and massaging all over the boy's scalp.

Zoro was busy wiping the suds away from Luffy's face, and he was doing a good job of it too. Nami smirked as she looked in her makeshift mirror out of the corner of her eyes. Luffy really was adorable. Washing his hands off in the bath water, Sanji reached up and grabbed the shower, and turned it on. Pulling the shower head off its hook, he moved it over Luffy's head while Zoro placed the washer completely over Luffy's eyes and upper face.

Luffy giggled louder as the jets of water hit his head. He loved showers! Zoro snorted slightly, smirking and relaxing a little bit at Luffy's childlike naiveté. Nami was giggling into her hand at the noises Luffy was making and the image she could see in the makeshift mirror. Sanji put the shower away, turning it off and smirking at the soft and sad whine that escaped from Luffy's mouth. Grabbing some conditioner, he poured it onto Luffy's hair generously before softly rubbing it in this time.

Luffy leaned back a little into the touch, feeling totally relaxed and his face relaxing. Within a minute, his body relaxed too as he slipped into sleep and began to slowly slide down Zoro's chest. Zoro instinctively clamped his knees around Luffy's body, holding him steady while his trembling increased slightly before he relaxed a little again. Luffy made no move, but was held limp in Zoro's grip, and he started to snore softly. Sanji smirked as he continued to work the conditioner in.

"This kid really is too cute…" he commented and he chuckled softly as Luffy continued to make noises in his sleep. Small squeaks, and mews, much like a kitten. Zoro sniggered softly as he recognised some of the sounds, not that Luffy would know what he was even talking about though.

"He sounds like Pikachu. Heh…" Zoro commented, fighting to keep the tremor out of his voice. Nami chuckled from her position and waved a hand over her shoulder.

"You've been watching too much tv." she said, but not in a voice that suggested Zoro should stop. It was just a fact.

"Pikachu, huh?" Sanji snorted as he remembered how much Zoro had loved to watch cartoons when he first came to them, but now he loved fighting films and things like that. Turning the shower on again, Sanji raised it over Luffy's head, "Watch his face." Zoro nodded and covered Luffy's face again, making sure none of the wounds got any soap in them. They were healing nicely, but, they were still pretty nasty and still pretty icky. All scabby and stuff. It wasn't very nice.

Unfortunately for Zoro, while leaning around to make sure Luffy didn't get any soap in his eyes, he got under the spray too. Shaking his head slightly, he moved back out of the way of it, only to have Sanji twist the shower and spray him in the face as he sniggered quietly. Zoro spluttered as the spray was taken away, and he looked at Sanji in genuine shock.

"Bastard." he said before releasing his hand on the edge of the bath and splashing his 'attacker'. Sanji laughed some more as he dodged out of the way and Zoro gave him a grouchy glare, lips bordering on a pout but never quite getting there. Putting the shower away, and making sure it was all turned off, he put his hands on his hips and looked down at the snoozing Luffy and blinking Zoro.

"So, how are we gonna do this?" he asked, looking to the green haired teen for the answer.

"Same as we did last time?" Zoro shrugged. Sighing, Sanji pushed his sleeves up as far as they would go and then dipped his arms into the bath and scooped Luffy up bridal style, sighing again as his clothes were soaked.

"Nami-san, could you get a towel please?" he asked politely when he saw the red head had averted her eyes again. She nodded and quickly grabbed a clean towel from the cupboard near her and then she kept her eyes down as she moved over and handed the towel to Sanji as Zoro got out of the bath, nearly slipped over and then hurried over to the towel rack, grabbing his own towel from there and wrapping it around himself, he eyed Nami for a moment before turning back to Luffy. He moved back over to the bath, making sure to keep the towel wrapped tight before he reached a hand back into the bath and pulled the plug, watching as the water swirled away. He smiled and turned back to the others again.

"There are some clothes of mine that he can have." he commented, looking between them.

"Good. Go get them please?" Nami asked, smiling at him

Zoro nodded before he picked up his clothes and hurried out, skidding slightly on the tile floor with his wet feet until he reached the carpet outside and hurried down the hall to his room. He could get some dry boxers while he was in there too. Luffy was fast asleep in Sanji's lap, the blonde having sat down so he could dry Luffy without having to worry about dropping him. Making sure to keep the boy well covered, the cook gently rubbed at the bruised chest, drying him off. He was so skinny, and those cuts and things still hadn't healed properly yet.

"Could you dry his hair, Nami-san?" he asked and Nami nodded as she went and grabbed another towel, glad that Sanji was keeping Luffy's modesty. She didn't want to see any more of the kid than she had to, even if he didn't seem to mind. Coming back over, she settled herself beside Sanji and started gently rubbing the boy's hair with the towel. She smiled as Luffy let out another one of those little mewling noises.

"He's such a little cutie…" she said, smiling as she worked at his hair. Sanji smirked beside her.

"Zoro's really taken a liking to him… but… he's so dependant…" he replied and Nami paused a little before shrugging and turning back to her job.

"Maybe he needs to be." she said softly. Sanji moved to Luffy's face, dabbing at it gently.

"Hmm?" he asked, his brows furrowing slightly in confusion. Shrugging again, Nami scruffed the towel at the back of the Luffy's head.

"He's had a big let down. He needs something to cling to that will help him get back up again, don't you think?" she explained. Sanji nodded in understanding.

"I guess so, but, Nami-san, he can't even wash himself…"

"Well…" Nami paused, "we've never really properly asked him if he can. Have we? We just _assumed _that he couldn't." Sanji shrugged, realising that too. Actually… it made him feel a little stupid for doing so. But this kid… he wasn't so sure about him.

"Well, he can probably wash his body, but I guess he was never allowed to wash his hair. It's understandable." he replied as he finished drying Luffy off and then sighed as he waited for Zoro to return. Nami scruffed at Luffy's hair gently one last time and smiled a little. As much as he was politely whinging, Sanji really didn't mind doing this. As long as he didn't have to do it _all_ the time, he probably wouldn't care.

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**  
Clarobell: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review.**


	8. Of Diaries and Strays

**Clarobell: Hey guys! Thanks so much for you're reviews! I'm in full time work now so my time is VERY limited, but I'm doing my best to keep up with things. Please keep the reviews coming to let us know you're still reading. It's always a great encouragement!**

**Plushie: Make sure to give Clarobell the credit she deserves guys, she's writing basically half the fic, so, it's not all me. XD Thanks for the reviews, and see you soon! **

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--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 8: Of Diaries and strays**_

A few more minutes passed before Zoro jogged in, fully dressed again with his towel over his shoulder and a pair of jeans, a navy shirt and a pair of the smallest boxers he had, over his arm. He held up the shirt, which was fairly small but Nami didn't think it would fit Luffy's thin body properly. It would still be very baggy, but, not as bad as Sanji's shirts. They were really more designed for Sanji's long body, and the fact that he tucked them in, rather than leaving them hang out like Luffy. If the boy wore one of his shirts, it would probably look more like a dress. Luffy was quite short for his age, more than likely from his bad diet, or lack of one thereof.

Nami reached out ans smiled a little as she picked up on the fact that the shirt was one of the first ones that they had gotten for Zoro. It would still fit him, but, it would be tight. Zoro had grown a little bit while living with them and he had filled out, but he was still very thin and Nami often tried to get him to eat a little more just to get him to grow into his skin a bit more. But he didn't, and Nami had given up. The shirt itself was navy blue, with short sleeves, that had red extensions that came down to the elbows. Across the chest, written in large red letters over a curling scroll, was 'Pirates Rock' because the first thing that Zoro had seen on the tv had been about pirates, and he'd become obsessed with them for a while until he began to 'grow' out of them.

"Do you think he'll like it?" Zoro asked a little softly as he blinked down at the two. Sanji shrugged casually.

"I'm sure he will, you wanna help me dress him?" the cook asked as he propped Luffy up, making sure to keep him covered and reaching a hand up to grab the boy's head before it flopped forward, "I've never met anyone who could sleep like this. It's like he's unconscious…" and he grimaced as Luffy's body flopped in his arms and he had to readjust himself so Luffy could lean against him without falling over. Nami chuckled lightly at the sleeping boy before turning to Sanji.

"It's like a mini coma or something…" she commented.

Zoro kneeled down in front of Luffy, his face determined as he concentrated on his task. Gently pulling the shirt over Luffy's head, he tugged it down and pushed the boy's arms through before pulling it down to his waist. Sanji smirked as he watched.

"I bet you would have made a great big brother, Zoro." he commented and the green haired teen paused for a minute, a light blush spreading across his cheeks before his face fell a little sadly. He had no family. Didn't know about his parents, or if he had any siblings. He couldn't have though, because if he had… someone would have come sooner and taken him from that orphanage. Pushing the thought from his mind, he smiled and shrugged, shaking his head.

"Nah, I'm too grouchy." he replied, grinning as he finished pulling on the pants and arranged the shirt around it before leaning back and sitting on his heels. Nami chuckled at this comment as she got to her feet and Zoro followed her, standing and watching as Sanji hefted Luffy up.

"Damn straight." the blonde said as without warning, he dumped Luffy in Zoro's arms. The green haired teen staggered a little at the unexpectedness of it and then righted himself, pulling Luffy into his arms almost tenderly.

"So, what do you think? Downstairs with us? Or in the bed?" Sanji asked, pulling at his soaked tie and frowning a little when the knot got stuck. Zoro had no idea why Sanji always dressed so formally, but, he didn't question it. It was just another quirk of Sanji's that he didn't understand. Same as Sanji's need to call him 'Marimo' or make some reference to his hair in a nickname. It ticked him if the blonde did it constantly, but, other than that he really didn't mind anymore. He'd gotten so agro with Sanji the first time he'd called him Marimo, simply for the plain fact that his hair was a _very_ touchy subject, and cause for laughter and hate in the orphanage. Shaking his head again, Zoro pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind. He was thinking a lot today.

"Umm… wherever." he replied finally, shrugging.

"What do you think Nami-san?" Sanji asked as he finally managed to undo the knot around his throat and pulled the tie off, draping it over his arm as he began to undo the buttons of his soaked shirt. Nami thought for a moment.

"Probably in the bed. He seems to sleep comfortably anywhere, but, we want to teach him to sleep in a bed, ne?" she suggested and Sanji nodded in agreement. Zoro looked between them for a moment before Sanji looked up.

"Go on then, Zoro." he said and the teen blinked before nodding and hurrying out, heading for his room. Faintly, he could hear Sanji cooing something at Nami, then a sharp 'slap' and 'ow' on Sanji's part... and then a 'Nami-swaan is so considerate'. Smirking a little and rooting for Nami, Zoro continued down the hall. Luffy was dead asleep in his arms, unaware of what was going on around him.

Moving into his room, Zoro took Luffy to the bed and placed him down, tucking him in and everything before pausing and blinking down at the boy. He smiled and then sighed a little as his smile fell and he crouched down beside the bed, resting his crossed arms on the bed and placing his chin on top of them. He gave another little sigh as he watched Luffy sleep before reaching out tentatively to run a finger along one of the scabbed over cuts on the boy's face.

"Don't worry, kid… you'll be alright here…" he said softly.

Sanji, who had been walking past, now dressed in clean clothes beside Nami, paused and watched Zoro for a few seconds before he smirked and continued down the stairs. He could clearly remember not too long ago when Zoro had first come to them and had been worse off than Luffy. To see him trying to help somebody in the same position he had been in was quite inspirational. He'd come a long way.

Zoro let out another soft sigh as his eyes stayed focused on the snoozing boy lying in his bed, staying where he was despite the pain running through his legs and knees from the uncomfortable crouched position, but he didn't care. Pain like that was a dull, almost nothing compared to what he had been through; same with Luffy.

His eyes drooped as he watched Luffy sleeping. Somehow… watching the boy sleep was very comforting. Slowly, he felt his consciousness slipping, but didn't bother to try and fight it. He could use any sleep he could grasp at. With that thought, his legs gave out as he fell asleep and he slumped to the side, sliding from the bed to land with a thump on the floor. He was fast asleep, much like Luffy, before he even hit the carpet. Nami and Sanji had just reached the lounge room when Nami looked up as she heard a thump. Turning away from Sanji, she hurried back up the stairs and poked her head into the room. Luffy was asleep… and so was Zoro. Smiling softly and letting out a small sigh of relief, she moved back downstairs to see Sanji standing at the door.

"He okay?" he asked and Nami nodded.

"Asleep." she responded simply and the cook rolled his eyes.

"He could use it." he replied as they moved into the lounge room, "He's been having a lot of nightmares lately."

---

A few hours later, Luffy woke up again, feeling quite confused. The last thing he remembered was the tickling sensation running through his spine as Sanji washed his hair in the bath. Speaking of which, his hair felt so nice! It was soft, and silky and fluffy! No wonder people washed their hair! Letting out a small giggle as he patted at his own soft hair, Luffy let out a small sigh as he guessed he should get up and get on with chores. He'd hardly done any since he'd been here! Either these people had different rules from Gramps, or they hadn't noticed yet, and Luffy bet it was the latter. He'd do good to get something done before they did notice and decided to punish him. Slowly he sat up and shifted to the edge of the bed and blinked in shock as he saw Zoro sleeping on the floor. That brought him to the realisation that he was actually sleeing in a be good.

Gramps had always forbidden him from sleeping in a bed and had made him sleep with the cats. Maybe nobody had noticed yet? He could make the bed and maybe he wouldn't get caught? Yeah…that's what he'd do…

Glancing at the slumped over Zoro on the floor, Luffy got up and flicked out the duvet on the bed, smoothing out every last wrinkle bfore carefully stepping around his friend so as to not wake him up. Once he'd done that, he turned and trotted from the room, heading downstairs and for the kitchen so he could start his chores. Nami poked her head out of the lounge room and then smiled upon seeing Luffy.

"Oi!" she called and Luffy paused, looking around with wide eyes. Had he been caught?

"Wanna come and talk for a little bit?" she asked, blinking at the 'deer-caught-in-the-headlights' look Luffy was giving her

Slowly the boy realised that he wasn't in trouble and his shocked expression melting into a wide grin as he nodded enthusiastically. Gramps had never let him talk, but these people did! And he liked talking! Glancing into the kitchen, he saw Sanji humming to himself as he fixed he and Nami, and now Luffy, breakfast. Nami beckoned Luffy into the lounge room and she coaxed him to sit down on the couch beside her. Pulling out a small red, hardcover book. She smiled as she turned to the boy beside her. Luffy blinked and then smiled back, happy to always have someone smile at him.

"Okay Luffy, this is going to be your diary. I'm going to record down things you like, don't like, how you feel when something bad happens, things like that, ne?" Luffy tilted his head, looking confused but still smiling.

"…why?" he asked, not understanding. Nami blinked a little at him.

"Well, we want to know all about you! So we can help you, ne? Zoro has one too." and she smiled a little, hoping that would ease Luffy's never ending flow of questions.

"He does?" Luffy asked, his smile widening in excitement. If Zoro had one then it must be good! Nami nodded in reply.

"So, would you like one?" she gently nudged, thinking it better to ask Luffy rather than just go ahead and do it and hurt his feelings. Luffy thought about it for a second.

"I don't think Gramps will like that…" he replied, looking thoughtful, "He says 'never tell anyone about anything you little shit!' and when he comes back to get me… he might be mad…"

Nami was gaping slightly at him, realising that Luffy wasn't going to let go of thinking that his grandfather was going to come back for him. Frowning a little as she regained her composure, she looked at Luffy again.

"Luffy, Gramps isn't going to come back and get you. You can tell me whatever you want!" Nami urged and then blinked when Luffy laughed a little.

"Gramps always comes back… he leaves me alone for a while sometimes… but he always comes back…" he replied, smiling and not caring

"But you're not alone!" Nami protested, trying to get the boy to understand, "You're with us."

"Gramps left me with other people too sometimes. It was nice because they didn't shout at me if I didn't get in their way," Luffy explained, "They were friends of Gramps, but Gramps always came back."

"We're _not _friends of 'Gramps' Luffy." Nami urged, "Gramps is _not_ coming back."

"Gramps always comes back." Luffy answered, blinking blankly. It was obvious this was going nowhere.

Sighing miserably, Nami slapped a palm over her forehead and Luffy blinked, wondering why she'd done that.

"Well, what if we didn't tell Gramps? Ok? We can make it a secret…" she suggested as she smiled and withdrew her hand from her face. It was worth a shot! Luffy's eyes went wide and he shook his head.

"I have to tell Gramps _everything_! He gets _so_ mad if I don't! I don't wanna make him mad!" Luffy gasped, wringing his hands a little and looking worried. Nami sighed softly, not liking to see the boy act like this. This was going to take a different type of persuasion.

"Well… if I told you how we found Zoro, would you wanna tell me about you?" she asked, attempting to pacify Luffy's worry of his Gramps coming back for him by changing the subject.

"Wasn't Zoro always here?" Luffy inquired, tilting his head and blinking curiously. Nami shook her head.

"He's only been living with us for about six or so months. Not too long. …so… would it help?" and she fiddled with the book in her hands. Once again, Luffy blinked.

"Help what?"

Nami sighed. She didn't think Luffy was avoiding the question, but more so distracted. He wasn't used to talking with others and she guessed his mind was used to wandering to occupy the time. Slowly, she breathed in and then out to keep her patience before answering.

"Do you wanna hear how Zoro came to live with us, or not?" she asked, hoping that after she told him that story, it would free up his mind and let him think that he was safe here. After all, if no one had come back for Zoro, then no one would come back for him, right? Luffy smiled and then nodded, watching her intently.

---

-_Flashback-_

_It was about the third week of November. The weather was cold, and standing on the street in front of a glass store window, was a blonde man of about eighteen, along with his girlfriend of about seventeen. She was smaller than him, and one hand was intertwined with his as both of them looked __down fondly at the baby boy's stuff in the window. Slowly, the girls hand rose to rest on her slightly swollen stomach, a blush rising in her cheeks as she thought of the future that slight swelling held for her and her boyfriend. The woman, Nami, blinked as she saw a shadowy reflection in the window. It was a cold day and very early in the morning, hardly a person in the streets. Turning, she blinked as she saw a beaten figure walking down the sidewalk across from them. The boy was very slight, wearing only a ripped, long sleeved shirt that went to his knees. From a distance, his hair was brown and as he walked, he jerked away from anyone who dared to come too close. The few people that were around avoided him though, not wanting to go near the dirty and ragged looking 'street urchin'. Nami nudged her boyfriend, Sanji. _

"_Hn?" hei noised, before following her gaze, "…shit…" and he squinted slightly as he looked at the boy who was staggering and stumbling down the sidewalk across the road from them. Nami let out a soft 'aw' of pity, seeing his shivering and feeling incredibly sorry for him. _

"_He looks so beat up… and cold… wonder what happened to him…" she said, watching as a group of people took a detour into the road to go around the boy. _

"_Maybe he's homeless…" Sanji suggested, shrugging a little. Nami added her own shrug into the mix._

"_It's possible… he doesn't look very well…" _

"_Poor kid… he can't be any older than you or me…" Sanji said, narrowing his eyes as the boy stopped for a moment to cover his mouth and cough, stumbling a little and then continuing, looking so pitiful it was almost unreal. Nami watched him for a while longer, the maternal instincts from her pregnancy, kicking in. she wasn't normally generous, anything but, but the boy looked so cold and just so… well… pitiable, that she felt like she had to do _something. _Turning to Sanji, she gave him a wide eyed look, indicating that she wanted to do something. Sanji already knew what that 'something' was._

"_Nami-san… we can't. In your condition…!" Sanji replied, almost exasperated, "And we have no idea if he's dangerous or not! For all we know, he could be a psycho!" and Sanji eyed the boy like he would burst out laughing and waving a knife around at any second. Nami's lips twisted as she rolled her eyes before sighing._

"_But… he could die… Do you want it on your conscience that you saw him, did nothing, and he died? Hmm?" she said, purposely trying to send Sanji on a guilt trip. But the blonde wasn't going there any time soon… _

"_Nami-san…" he frowned, trying to tell her no while being polite. _

"_But…" Nami pouted, doing her puppy dog eyes thing but then sighed and dropped the act, "What if we just get him back on his feet, eh? Just look after him until he's better? Its so close to Christmas too…" and she glanced at the boy, who was nearly at the other end of the street. Sanji glanced at the boy, then to Nami, then the boy again and back to Nami. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he rolled his eyes._

"_I guess we'd better catch him then…" he mumbled, stuffing his hands into his pockets as Nami smiled before hurrying across the road and down the street, tugging Sanji along behind her. _

"_Hey, wait up!" she called and the boy stopped instantly, his shoulders hunched and his head bowed. Sanji walked up beside him._

"_Hey, kid, you alright? You look cold…" he commented, watching as the boy shivered. Slowly, he shook his head, silently telling both Nami and Sanji that he wasn't cold at all, though his nails were clearly purple, and his lips had a tinge of blue. He'd obviously been out in this for a while__. Nami tutted as she noticed not only did he have no pants, but no shoes either, leaving his feet badly cut up from walking on the gravelled ground for who knows how long._

"_Do you want to come and warm up?" Nami asked, smiling a little. Once again, the boy blinked at them before he shook his head slowly, having been taught not to say if he was sick, or cold, or too hot, or anything like that. He wasn't allowed to want something, and if he did, he wasn't supposed to ask for it. No, he wasn't allowed to have anything. A week ago, on his birthday, the eleventh of the eleventh, when he'd turned eighteen, he'd been kicked out of the only place he'd ever lived. The orphanage that belonged to a woman of the name of, Alvida. And when he was kicked out, he was _kicked _out. _

_He was beaten until he was barely conscious, and then dumped next to a dumpster ironically. After that, he'd wandered around and gotten lost and hadn't eaten in over a week, not that he had eaten much in the orphanage. He was dazed, cold, hungry, lost and confused and just wanted to sleep. But even sleep was forbidden to him, plagued as he was by nightmares. So, when these strangers (who were a little too close for comfort) asked him if he was cold, he just shook his head and pretended he didn't even know what 'cold' was. _

"_Baka…" Sanji said softly, "Come on… we'll get you fed up…" and he turned to walk towards their car which was parked a short way back up the street. Nami smiled at the boy._

"_Come on…" she said before following Sanji as the boy turned and began moving after them, having taken the 'come on' as a direct order. He didn't really like being obedient, but if he was, then he didn't get hurt. And no one liked pain. It was something most smart people avoided… no matter what they had to do… Besides, maybe if he obeyed them, he would get fed, or maybe they'd take him back to the orphanage. He didn't like it there, but at least there he was under a roof and a little bit warmer. And perhaps for once, he would be treated with a little kindness... he didn't know what that was, but he had heard some of the people at the orphanage say it and it sounded good, so... _

_Once they'd reached the car, Sanji opened the back seat door and waited for the boy to reach them before jerking his head at the car._

"_Go on, get in." he said and the pitiful kid obeyed instantly without even really thinking. Nami frowned a little at Sanji's abruptness as the blonde closed the door after the stray boy. It was obvious he was unhappy about this. He'd been axtra protective of her since she'd fallen pregnant and though it had been unplanned and more of an accident really, it was not unwanted. She knew he was only worried but she itched to reprimand him for being cruel to the poor boy, but, she let it go. Sanji was helping, and that was all that mattered to her right now. _

"_You ok back there?" Sanji asked as he slid into the driver's seat, Nami sliding into the passenger one beside him. As the car started, the cook glanced in the rear view mirror to see the boy nod at him, black and bruised eyes drooping tiredly. As the car started away from the curb it had been parked on, Nami twisted a little to look at him and the boy eyed her a little apprehensively. _

"_What's your name?" she asked. The 'stray' opened his mouth to say something, before he closed it again and glanced down at the seat beside him. _

"_Name?" Sanji asked firmly, getting a little annoyed by the boy's unresponsiveness. _

"_Zoro, Roronoa Zoro… sir…" the boy finally responded, though his voice was harsh and scratchy, almost like he'd never used it… or screamed too much and his throat was sore… Slowly, Zoro was starting to stop shivering, as the car was nice and warm. At the same time, he was getting very dopey and tired, wanting to sleep even more than he had before. Sanji blinked at being called 'sir' and grimaced a little. _

"_Hey, you don't have to call me sir. You're making me feel old…" the blonde said, and Nami smirked at him. Zoro didn't find that funny though, and he winced and bowed his head low._

"_Sorry…" he whisered before quickly clamping a hand over his mouth as he yawned. His eyes closed completely, then he lilted sideways and his head thunked against the window, making Nami wince slightly. _

"_Well…" Nami blinked, "Guess he's pretty tired…" and she looked at Sanji, who glanced in the rear view mirror again warily. _

"_No kidding… he seems pretty messed up… you think he's a runaway? Seems a little old…" Sanji mused as he glanced up into the rear view mirror again, blinking a little at the man now sitting in the back seat of his car. Nami shrugged a little, sharp eyes watching what was to be their new charge. _

"_He could be…" and she twisted a little more so she could see the boy properly, "Poor thing… Well, we'll see when he wakes up again, ne?" Sanji was about to nod when Zoro twitched a little violently and opened his eyes, blinking at the car around him for a second in shock before he realised where he was. Sitting up straight in the seat, he sighed a little. _

"_That was quick… have a nice nap, Zoro?" Sanji asked, a very slight lilt of teasing in his voice. Zoro clenched his teeth and bowed his head. He had done it again! Fallen asleep without permission! Now he was going to get in trouble! His stomach gave a rumble and Zoro's eyes widened slightly before he sluggishly pulled an arm up and wrapped it around himself, silently willing his stomach it to shut up before it got him in trouble. Nami smirked a little. _

"_Hungry then, are we?" she asked teasingly and Zoro's head snapped up, his eyes wide before he shook his head wildly. Nami paused and looked at Sanji, who blinked again but didn't say anything. The rest of the trip was spent in silence, Zoro's head drooping forward as he fell asleep before he jerked it back again, glancing at both Nami and Sanji worriedly, but neither said another word, thinking it best not to stess him any more than he already was. Finally, Sanji pulled into the drive at their home and Zoro paused, blinking out at the house through the window and jerking back away from it when Sanji opened the door. _

"_Come on then." the blonde said before heading for the house. It was a large house that they had already bought and fully paid for. _

_Both of them had been born in the 'good' side of Cleff as it were and had been given a proper education. Both had advanced quicker through their education than most normal people, skipping entire grades at a time and working hard. By the time Sanji was 16, he'd become a master chef at his father's restaurant, and being from a wealthy family, had saved up enough to buy a vacant warehouse in town. It had taken him a further few years to renovate the place into his own restaurant between classes and courses and his job at his father's restaurant, but by the time 'The Baratie' was finished, it was by far the best looking restaurant in town. His father had been planning on moving out of Cleff, and with his son now with a firm business behind him and his own place, he decided then would be a good time._

_Nami had also come from a wealthy family, studying in accountancy practices and a tidbit of law here and there. She had been hired into a small business of accountants at the age of 17, and had been happily working there for a month before her current boyfriend, Sanji, had requested she work for him as his accountant. She had gladly accepted, but insisted that she wanted to keep her current job as well. Sanji, not one to ever deny his girlfriend what she wanted, had agreed._

_She had moved in with him shortly after and they had lived happily for several months before Nami had discovered her pregnancy. Both had been excited by the news, having always known they would eventually end up together for life, but this really sealed the deal. Now though, Sanji couldn't help but feel that his perfect, private little bubble was about to burst with their new 'guest'._

_Nami quickly got out and hurried around to help __Zoro, but the boy wouldn't be touched and she stood back and watched as he got out of the car, swaying slightly and shivering in the sudden cold that assaulted him. Following Sanji's 'come on' as an order, Zoro headed for the house, his head bowed. He didn't know who these people were, or why they were taking him into this house, but, he wasn't going to complain. It would be warm, and after he watched them for a while, he would figure out their intentions. He was good that way. _

_As Zoro walked in through the door, he paused for a second, not noticing when Nami closed the door silently behind him and put her coat on the clothes horse at the wall. Zoro was staring, his eyes wide as he looked around. He'd never seen a place like this before! It had a soft… woolly floor under his bare feet, the walls were bright colours and it wasn't windy or draughty like where he'd lived all his life at the orphanage. The floors weren't splintery boards and the place looked… odd, but nice. Nami smiled a little at him as she moved past, wondering at the same time why he was so awed by the place. Sanji, who had been eyeing Zoro warily, headed for the kitchen. _

"_Ok. Go and sit with Nami-san. I'll fix you something to eat." he said and Zoro's head was instantly bowed again, his eyes darting to the side to watch as the blonde headed for the kitchen. Nami waved a hand at him and Zoro immediately followed obediently, almost smiling at the soft feeling on his half frozen feet, but he kept the smile hidden. As they entered the lounge room, Zoro's eyes glanced around and he paused for a second when he saw the TV, watching it with a fascination that indicated to Nami, that he'd never seen one of those before. _

_Smiling a little, she rubbed a hand over her ever-so-slightly swollen stomach and looked around to find a blanket. Settling himself on the floor, Zoro adjusted his shirt so it was covering all vital parts, and continued to eye the TV, almost like he wanted to ask what it was. Jerking a little as Nami came closer, he made no move to grab the blanket that she laid over him. It slipped down a little and Nami moved forward, blinking a little as Zoro tensed, his breathing intensifying in speed as she adjusted the blanket. As soon as she moved away though, Zoro visibly relaxed and his eyes drooped tiredly once more. After quickly whipping up a sandwich, Sanji moved into the room and blinked at Zoro's position before offering him the plate._

"_Here. This should hold you over until dinner's ready…" he said, but Zoro didn't even look at the food. He just looked around like he pretended it wasn't there. Nami's brows furrowed._

"_It's for you. You can eat it." She nudged a little and Zoro clenched his eyes shut, turning his face slightly away and ignoring it entirely. He wasn't going to fall for that trick. Oh no. He'd fallen for that once, he wasn't stupid enough to fall for it again! _She _had always teased him with food, but it was only the first time that she'd done it that he'd attempted to take it. He'd gotten one of the worst beatings he'd ever had, and then he'd been locked up in a dark room for two days without even a glass of water. So thanks, but no thanks. He wasn't stupid… _

"_Oi! Don't ignore it! Eat it!" Sanji barked, incensed by Zoro's ignorance. The skinny teen paused for a second, a little confused. He was being ordered to eat something by this guy, but… he wasn't supposed to eat normal food! Never ever! His forehead creased a little as his head started to pound. _

"_I said eat it," Sanji almost hissed, getting very, very annoyed that Zoro was ignoring _his _food, "You're hungry aren't you??" This seemed to knock Zoro out of his ignorance, but in the wrong way and he shook his head wildly again. Nami frowned a little. _

"_Sanji, don't scare him. If he doesn't want to eat right now, just let him be…" She said, a bite to her voice, and Sanji subsided, placing the plate down on the floor and then snorting as he left the room. Nami sighed a little at Sanji's exit and then turned to look at Zoro, who was staring at the carpet beside him like he was in a sleepy daze._

"_Are you okay? Warm enough?" She asked, but Zoro didn't respond and just continued staring at the individual fibres of the carpet. He was confused now, having been told to eat when he'd gotten punished for doing so…_

"_Hey, come on…" Nami said softly, moving over to him and making as if to crouch down, but Zoro stiffened and shuffled away, discreetly trying to drag the blanket with him but not really succeeding__. They stayed like that for a few more minutes, Nami watching him curiously and the only sound being Sanji's clattering in the kitchen as he prepared the nights dinner. Zoro's head started nodding as his eyes dropped, obviously exhausted, and before long, it became too much, and he pitched forward, passing out face first on the floor, the blanket settling over him. With a small gasp, Nami crawled forward, checking the fallen teen over, sighing in relief as she realised he was only sleeping and arranging the blanket better, adjusting the sleeping teens limbs into a more comfortable position before getting to her feet and moving to sit on the couch, watching him silently. Sanji walked back in with their dinners around 20 minutes later and blinked at the sight of Zoro._

"_He alright?" he asked as he set the plates down on the coffee table. Nami nodded, watching Zoro carefully._

"_I think he's just tired." She replied before her eyes narrowed as Zoro's hands clenched in the carpet convulsively, and a softly frightened look took over his face, "He's having a nightmare…" And Sanji took her shoulder, gently pulling her away. _

"_Move away Nami-san… he might lash out…" He said before sighing a little when he thought they were a safe distance, "Still think it's a good idea?" _

_Nami frowned at that._

"_Of course. He needs our help. I just… wonder what's happened to him, that's all." she replied softly, and then turned back to watch as Zoro gave a short squeak of what sounded like pain and then his eyes snapped open, darting around restlessly as he sat straight up, the blanket falling away to rest over his legs. _

"_Oi, you okay?" Sanji asked and Zoro jerked wildly at the voice, and began to pant before scrabbling to push himself against the wall and attempting to get away from the blonde man before him. _

"_Hey," Nami said, crouching down again so she didn't look so threatening, "It was just a nightmare, it can't hurt you now…" _

"_Damn… he's seriously fucked up…" Sanji commented and blinked when Zoro jumped and began panting and shaking harder, very obviously frightened._

"_I don't think he likes that word, Sanji…" Nami responded, eyeing Zoro as the teen continued to panic. Sighing, Sanji gently nudged Nami out of the way before crouching down and pushing the plate towards Zoro, who just jerked away. _

"_Look kid… eat the sandwich… It'll make you feel better…" he said, giving the plate another nudge. Zoro shook his head wildly and whacked it against the wall… and immediately fell silent and still. His head was bowed and his hands were limp beside him, almost like he was waiting to be hit or something. Nami raised an eyebrow._

"_Oookay." she noised in a weird way before glancing at Sanji, who reached out as if he was going to grab Zoro. He realised a second too late that it wasn't the right thing to do, and Zoro's half, weakly clenched fist collided with the side of his face, sending him sprawling. _

"_Why you…!" he began as he started to get up angrily but Nami stilled him with a hand , pointing at Zoro who had obviously passed out from either exhaustion, or lack of air from his hyperventilating. Sanji raised a hand to his face, probing gently at his quickly swelling cheek and what was obviously going to be a black eye. Damn that bastard! _

"_What the hell happened to him?" Nami asked softly to no one in particular._

"_I don't know…" Sanji practically snapped back, but not at Nami and directed his anger at Zoro, "I think we should take him to a hospital…" and he winced as opening his eye began to hurt and the full sting and pain of the punch really began to set in. _

"_Maybe… I think we should just let him be for now… we'll see what he's like in the morning. After all, if you'd been on the streets in _that _town, how would _you _be?" Nami said, standing up beside him and inspecting his face. Sighing a little, Sanji conceded. _

"_Ok, Nami-san. I'll stay up and keep an eye on him though. Don't want him thieving or breaking anything…" and he eyed Zoro as he grabbed the bottom of his jacket and jerked it down almost indignantly. He could see this was going to cost them more trouble than they were prepared for. Nami snorted a little._

"_Right. I think… for now, don't try and touch him. That seems to make him frightened more than anything else. Maybe just let him be if he wakes up, eh?" and she raised both eyebrows at him and Sanji frowned a little but nodded._

"_As you wish Nami-san…" Sanji replied politely, but it was clear he was less than pleased with this. Letting a wry smile slip over her face, Nami moved over to him._

"_Come on Sanji, don't be like that. Once he calms down, and gets used to everything, I'm sure he'll be fine, ne?" she said, reaching up and giving him a quick kiss, hoping that would cheer him up. Sanji smiled and ran a hand over her stomach._

"_Take it easy." he said and Nami smiled and winked._

"_Always." and she made for the door before pausing, "Get some ice for your eye." and she walked out. _

_-end flashback-_

"He was pretty shocky at first, did some things we really didn't expect, and he basically couldn't be touched unless he was unconscious. But after a week or two, he got used to us, and we got used to his attacks and things. And he slowly began to get better." And she smiled, thinking for a second before she turned to Luffy. The boy didn't smile back though. In fact, his brows were drawn in and his eyes were dark.

"Somebody hurt Zoro?" he asked, sounding a little angry and Nami blinked before nodding softly.

"Yeah… a woman, Alvida. Kinda hard to believe isn't it?" and she smiled a little as Luffy's anger turned to sadness and he frowned.

"But… I like Zoro…" he said and Nami's smile grew a little in size as she reached out and ruffled his hat and hair.

"Yeah, me too." she nodded.

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**  
Plushie: Don't forget to review! Thankyou! Ask any questions! We can't answer them, if you don't ask em! Thanks again! **


	9. WHOA that was unexpected

**Clarobell: Thanks so much for all of your reviews last chapter guys!! One of you mentioned that Sanji still calls Nami, Nami-san, and just so that you know, in the DD universe, 'Nami-san' for Sanji, is more of a pet name for Nami than a formality, okay? Really, neither can imagine him calling her anything else. Luffy may seem quite OOC in this chapter, but please keep in mind that his emotions are very unbalanced right now.**

**Plushie: Err, what she said. I'm dying from a sleep deficiency right now, so let's just cut to the chapter eh? -falls over dead- **

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--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 9: WHOA... that was unexpected... **_

Zoro, the very subject of Luffy's and Nami's conversation, decided he was going to enter the room at that point with a silent yawn. He blinked as Luffy and Nami stared at him before turning to the younger boy.

"There you are, Luffy. I was worried." he smirked a little, otherwise saying that he was being a little sarcastic. Luffy turned to him and blinked before tilting his head a little.

"Nami wants to make a book thingy… Should I Zoro?" he asked, watching his friend. The older teen blinked back at him before he looked at Nami and then looked back at Luffy again.

"Sure. Then you can have one like me, ne?" he replied, having heard nothing about what they were talking about. He moved in and sat down on the floor beside the coffee table, just feeling like he didn't really want to sit on the couch right now.

"See? So, do you want to tell us some stuff about yourself?" Nami urged, smiling widely at Zoro's back up of her plan. Luffy looked doubtful.

"Oh… but Gramps said…" he began but Zoro frowned.

"Gramps isn't here, Luffy. You can do whatever you want. He's not coming back for you, he's not nice to you. Say whatever you want, okay?" he explained, almost growling. Luffy blinked at him, sensing the angry undertone to Zoro's voice and he fidgeted a little.

"…kay…" he mumbled, nodding a little. Nami looked between them and sighed a little. Luffy thought he was in trouble again.

"Just tell us what you want to, ok? Start small. What's your favourite colour?" She asked and Luffy blinked.

"Um … I think … red!" he replied and Zoro, seeing that Luffy was starting to talk, relaxed a little and then wondered where that anger had come from. He didn't like hearing about 'Gramps' and he didn't like Luffy listening _to _Gramps. It wasn't right.

"Good!" Nami praised brightly as she smiled and Luffy blinked back at her before smiling a little himself,

"Now, how old are you?" Luffy raised his head a little more.

"16." he said and Nami grinned.

"Very good! Hmm… favourite piece of clothing?" and she smiled a little as Luffy paused and then he grabbed for the straw hat on his head and smiled a little.

"Boshi." he answered and Zoro snorted softly, smiling at the same time, "Naa? I love Boshi!" and he pouted a little. Nami laughed a little.

"Good. You love your hat. That's fine. Umm, what did you do when you were younger?" she asked in a slightly more serious tone. This question was phrased in a way that shouldn't have Luffy connect Gramps to it in his mind. Hopefully.

"Mm… Gramps used to let me sometimes watch TV. It's how I got to learn how to speak the way I do!" he replied brightly and Nami blinked for a second and looked at Zoro, who shrugged in response.

"That's... cool..." Zoro noised, watching Luffy with interested eyes. Nami nodded and smiled. She knew Luffy was smarter than he appeared...

"But Gramps didn't like it when I wanted to watch movies and things, but I didn't care." Luffy nodded, still smiling, but Zoro's smile fell a little. There Luffy went with Gramps again… Nami's eyes narrowed a little.

"What _did_ you watch?" she asked a little apprehensively. She wasn't sure she wanted to know really…

"Well, Gramps liked watching a few channels. Mainly the ones where naked people were rolling around on a bed and moaning and acting all funny. That's the sex thing, right? He liked watching them almost as much as he liked doing it…" and he smiled and shrugged, not realising what he'd said had Nami slightly horrified and disgusted. Zoro shifted his eyes to the floor, staying silent and keeping still while Nami sighed and reigned in her anger.

"How often?" she asked through almost gritted teeth and Luffy blinked.

"Um… all the time?" he replied a little timidly as he sensed her anger, " I didn't like them though. They were boring. If I wanted to watch that, I could just watch Gramps! I liked the funny bright coloured people. Gramps never told me what they were…"

"Cartoons." Zoro said, looking up a little, "They're cartoons…"

"Oooh! Cool! I like them then!" Luffy said brightly, "And I liked the cooking shows too. Gramps said I had to watch them so I could cook meals for him, otherwise, what use would I be?" and he smiled. Nami sighed a little, shaking her head before smiling.

"That was good Luffy. Good boy." and she patted his arm a little, blinking when he dived in for a hug before returning it. Zoro watched them for a second, before smiling a little himself. It was nice to see Luffy not really affected by whatever he was talking about. Probably, when Luffy started growing up a little and getting a bit more mature, he might feel different, but by then… he would be well and truly out of Gramps' clutches.

"Well, I think that will do for now, eh?" Nami asked, smiling a little as she closed the red book again, grabbing a black marker and scribbling 'Luffy' on the front before leaving them both on the tabletop. She would take it slow with Luffy. Unlike Zoro, he didn't seem to mind answering questions too much, but she didn't want to make him uncomfortable at all. There was a soft growl, and Nami turned to raise an eyebrow at Luffy, who just blinked back.

"Wha?" he noised and then Zoro's stomach grumbled and Nami raised the other eyebrow at him, causing the green haired teen to blink back at her a little ashamedly.

"Sounds like everyone's hungry." she said and watched as Zoro twitched a little, and Luffy's eyes darted to the floor. Great… Zoro was still a little timid about eating normal food, and she had NO idea how Luffy would react. He seemed to be along similar lines though. Letting out a soft sigh, she stood up from the couch and Zoro stood up in front of her, grabbing Luffy and hauling the boy to his feet like he was a little kid. Giggling a bit at this, Luffy craned his neck and grinned at Zoro, who smirked back before he realised just how close he was to the younger boy and pulled away, shaking ever so slightly. He seemed to be much better at being close with Luffy, but the fear was still lingering.

"Come on, food. You haven't eaten in God knows how long." Zoro commented, ignoring the wide smirk Nami was giving him as he hurried Luffy into the kitchen. She sniggered a little at the 'nickname' Zoro had given Luffy before following after them. It was cute.

Sanji looked up, his soft singing cutting off abruptly as Luffy was ushered into the kitchen by Zoro and Nami followed behind. The ginger haired woman jerked her head at Zoro and Luffy, and mouthed 'hungry' at the blonde, and Sanji smirked a little. Good thing he'd just finished making their late breakfast, otherwise they would have had to wait a little longer. Either that or eat an apple. Their choice.

"Gramps let me eat the leftover cat food a while ago." Luffy said, wondering if that counted. Sanji coughed slightly. Cat... Had Luffy just said _Cat Food_!? He frowned a little, turning back to where he was dishing out the food.

"Yuck…" Zoro commented, sticking his tongue out in disgust and shuddering as he imagined the taste of cat food... yuck... at the orphanage they gave them that sloppy porridge – it wasn't nice, but at least it was human food. Nami wrinkled her own nose in disgust and shuddered as well.

"Umm, I think Sanji's food is a little better than that." and she chuckled. Sanji didn't even bother to say or do anything. He knew Nami was baiting him. She always did that.

"The tuna one isn't so bad, but the rabbit is icky! And it smells bad too!" Luffy continued and he stuck his tongue out as well. Zoro turned a faint shade of green at Luffy's comment, as he put the boy into a seat and then sat down beside him.

"You're not sitting on the floor, and you're not eating cat food." he said, waiting patiently for Sanji to put the plates out. Nami was totally… amazed to say the least. She almost felt like pinching herself to see if this was real. Luffy was happy as a clam, Zoro was acting normal, and there wasn't a thing going wrong.

"Okay then." Luffy said a little miserably. If he wasn't getting cat food, then, he wasn't eating. That's the way he'd always seen it. He fidgeted a little in the seat, twisting around and trying to get comfortable. It was obvious he wasn't used to sitting on one. Zoro watched him for a second before leaning over to him.

"Just relax, slump down a little if you have to. And if that doesn't work, imagine you're sitting against a wall on the floor, ne?" he muttered, glancing at Nami as she sat down.

Nodding a little, Luffy still looked uncomfortable and Zoro smiled a little. It was going to take some time before Luffy got used to sitting in a chair, same as it had taken him a long time. But he was glad now that he didn't have to sit on the floor anymore. Even though he still did sometimes, it was because he _chose _to, and not because he was _told _to. That made him even more comfortable.

But Luffy... he wasn't like Zoro. Zoro at least _knew _he had been mistreated, and had had enough sense to realize that what he'd been made to do was wrong. And therefore, he saw the truth to Nami and Sanji's words sooner, but at the same time, he still had that problem with letting go of his fear that something bad was going to happen _if _he did what he wasn't supposed to do. Luffy had no clue that what had happened to him was wrong. And that was what made it even sadder... He had been raised like this and from what he'd heard so far, hadn't seen much of the outside world, so had no idea he had been done wrong and accepted his life for what it was. It made that angry feeling bubble up inside of Zoro just thinking about it, but he forced it back down.

Sanji swept over with the four plates balanced perfectly on his arms, and he laid them out (going to Nami first) and then to Zoro, then Luffy and then back to his own place, performing a neat little twirl that had Zoro raising an eyebrow, Luffy grinning and Nami giving him a sarcastic round of applause. Sitting down, Sanji paused. Luffy's stomach was growling loudly, but he ignored it, not so much as even looking at the food in front of him as he continued to try and get comfortable. Giving Luffy a light shove with his elbow, Zoro nodded his head towards the food, eyes glancing around a little.

"Eat it," he commented as he glanced at Sanji, "He'll get mad."

Sanji threw Zoro a sarcastic glance before looking back to Luffy again. He'd changed a lot since first taking in Zoro, and though he still had a temper, most of the time he managed to keep it in check.

"Not hungry Luffy?" he asked, shooting another quick amused glare at Zoro, who smirked back at him.

"But… I…" and he looked down at the lovely smelling food, "I can't… Gramps said…" He wanted to eat that food _so_ badly, but, he wasn't allowed! He hadn't been given permission...

"Forget what Gramps said, Luffy." Nami said forcefully, frowning as she shook her head. She was annoyed that Luffy kept bringing up his Gramps. Why did the kid care about the old bastard so much?

"You mean…" and tears stung in Luffy's eyes, "I can… eat this?" And his lower lip trembled as he stared at the group incredulously, clenching his teeth down on it to try and hide the fact he was so close to crying.

"Of course." Zoro said, not sure what the hell was going on here. Luffy started to sniffle, fat tears dripping from his eyes as he bit his lips and trembled slightly. He was allowed to eat… real food! Sanji's eyes widened.

"Is something wrong? Does something hurt? Don't you like it?" he asked in quick succession, trying to find the answer before all hell broke loose.

Zoro was blinking down at Luffy, glancing at Nami and Sanji every now and again, but, most of the time he kept his eyes on Luffy. He understood sort of what Luffy was crying about. He had had a similar trouble believing he was allowed to eat this kind of food, but he didn't understand why Luffy was going _totally_ overboard about it. Maybe... this was a quirk of Luffy's nature. The way he had been abused. Zoro grimaced slightly as he watched. He didn't like to see Luffy cry.

"Umm… I think he's happy." Nami said, smiling a little, "You're going to get the food wet. Eat it before it gets cold." Luffy just sobbed harder, coughing at the same time, too happy to even form words. These people were so nice to him! He was going to be allowed to eat! Zoro reached out a tentative hand and patted him on the back gently. Sanji smiled.

"Hey kid, you can eat anything you want now. I'll cook whatever you want." he said, and Luffy burst into full blown hysterics. He hiccupped, wailed, and let large tears slide down his face, trembling and then attempting to wipe the tears away before giving up as they were too numerous to even try to get rid of. This was the first time that the group had seen a proper reaction from Luffy, other than ignorance or dismissal and it was over something so small.

But then, the first time Sanji had put a belt on in full view of Zoro, the green haired teen had gone into hysterics and had hidden himself in the kitchen for at least four hours until he finally unlocked the door and Nami got in. Still… it was weird that Luffy would react over food. The kid seemed to like food a lot, but then, he woke up to the word for heaven's sake. And… he never had eaten anything properly since he'd come to them, which had to have been a good few days now. Zoro jerked away from Luffy when he burst into this state, frightened by the loud noise for a moment before calming again and wondering what the hell he was supposed to do. He had to think quick.

"Umm… eat it or it'll run away!" he cried randomly. Well… that was lame, but it had stopped the wailing and the crying anyway. Luffy blinked at everyone around the table in shock and horror while Sanji sent a light glare at Zoro. Despite his attempt at helping the situation, Sanji was annoyed at the way Zoro had chosen to do it. Luffy could have reacted much worse, and he was glad he hadn't. He really didn't feel like dealing with someone's panic attack right now.

"I-It'll run away?" Luffy asked in a frightened voice. His eyes were red and puffy, and he kept sniffling every few seconds. Zoro then blinked towards Nami, who smiled.

"No Luffy… take as long as you want, but, it won't be warm if you don't hurry. It tastes better warm." she said. Luffy blinked at her, and then wiped his tears away, smiling a watery grin.

"'Kay." he nodded, apparently over his little moment and then he tilted his head as he saw the cutlery on the table before pointing at it, totally unashamed, "I can't use that…" Zoro turned to Nami again, who looked interested, but a little worried.

"Oh, well, what do you use?" she asked, hoping it wasn't what she thought. Luffy raised his hands and wiggled the fingers with a grin. Zoro raised an eyebrow. At least at the orphanage, they made them eat with spoons. Sanji let out a quiet groan at the thought of having to teach Luffy how to use a knife and a fork. Zoro went to eat his food, but was distracted as Luffy picked up some of the food in his hand, testing it before diving on it and eating like a madman.

"And manners…" Sanji mumbled under his breath. Zoro jerked away as he was hit in the face by some of the flying food, and wiped it off in disgust.

"Ow…" he muttered before shifting away from Luffy a little, dodging the bits that kept flying at him. Nami's expression was similar to Zoro's as she watched Luffy eat like some kind of demented animal. It really was quite scary.

"Umm… ew…" she muttered.

Sanji looked mildly horrified. It took a mere few minutes for Luffy to gobble down his food before he finished and began licking his fingers, and then he licked the plate, and his hands and then went back to licking at his fingers again. Zoro blinked down at his own food, before pushing it away, feeling slightly sick. Eyeing Luffy and trying to stop herself from wrinkling her nose in disgust, Nami pointed at the now sparkling plate. Not a spec of food was on it.

"Umm…put the plate in the sink when you're done? Please?" she asked, smiling a little timidly. Her own food hadn't been touched, and like Zoro, she felt mildly sick. Luffy paused and looked up at her, his tongue still poking from his mouth, mid-lick. He gave a quick decisive nod, before grabbing the plate and hurrying over to the sink, placing it in and grinning as he walked back towards the door. Now, if he could find a quiet little spot, he could finish his job in peace.

"Where're you going?" All three voices asked and Luffy paused before grinning.

"Just going to have a look around... if that's ok?" and he paused again until Nami nodded and Zoro stood up, intending to follow him.

"Sit down, and eat." Sanji said and Zoro blinked before sitting back down again, grabbing his fork up and stabbing a tad moodily at his food. Smirking at the green head, Sanji was tempted to give him a whack around the head for being a dolt and trying to get out of eating, but he restrained himself. Nami smiled at Luffy.

"Of course. Go and explore. But don't get lost in the orange groves." and she smiled a little wider as Zoro flushed red.

"I only did that once..." he responded.

"Oh? I thought it was a weekly thing?" and she raised an eyebrow as Zoro sent a sharp glare at her. Chuckling at his 'silly' friends, Luffy made his way from the kitchen and began looking around interestedly, idly licking his fingers some more as he did so. This place was _cool_! It wasn't all smelly like Gramps' was, because of all his kitties. And it was bright and exciting, where Gramps' was dull, and kinda boring.

He wandered around the living room for a while, inspecting everything but never touching it, and then he went into the bathroom where Zoro had patched him up a few nights ago... He paused there for a moment before smiling a little and opening the door outside. His eyes lit up when he saw the rows of trees out there, and the large orange fruits that were only just starting to ripen. He knew they were oranges, but he didn't dare touch any. Nami mightn't like that... She was nice, for now... but he still wasn't sure of them. Other people had been kind for a while before, but they soon changed. Even Graps was kinda nice _sometimes_. They were cool, nice, fun, but he still liked Zoro best. Zoro made him feel safer and happier than usual, and he was beginning to really enjoy that feeling.

Still looking at the trees in awe, Luffy padded his way down the rows, giggling some at the soft, tickling feeling of the grass between his toes and under his feet. It was so nice out here, so comfortable. Warm, and the sun was high. He rarely got to spend time in the sun unless it was shining through a window. Wow... he'd never realized how beautiful being outside could be! He'd never really been allowed! Finding this place most pleasant indeed, Luffy dropped down by a shady bush and yawned widely. Beautiful... he'd never really used that word. Heard it, but never used it. He'd never had cause to.

There was a soft rustle from up ahead, and Luffy looked up in time to see a dazed, and rather lost looking Zoro appear from one of the bushes. Wow... Nami had been right, Zoro could get lost in this place. Meh, whatever. Spotting his friend, Zoro moved over to him and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"What're you doing?" he asked, blinking down at the boy before him and raising an eyebrow slightly. Luffy looked back up at him with wide and happily innocent eyes.

"Sleepin'!" he replied brightly and Zoro's eyebrow rose further as he looked down at the boy beneath the bush.

"Really?" he said before dropping down cross-legged beside him and yawning slightly himself, "We're going shopping. Nami said we have to." and he rolled his eyes. Luffy blinked, not getting why they had to go shopping. He knew what it was... it was to buy food for Gramps to eat... right? Blinking a little, he looked at Zoro who was on a quick train to sleepy-town.

"Hey Zoro, why're we going shopping for food for Gramps to eat?" Luffy inquired innocently and Zoro blinked himself awake again, raising an eyebrow at the boy beside him.

"We're... not... Hmm, the type of shopping Nami's talking about, is buying clothes and things. It's not totally for food, and if it is, it's certainly not food for 'Gramps' to eat." and he trailed into a few choice curses that were muttered in the general direction of Luffy's grandfather.

"Oooh..." Luffy noised, ignoring Zoro's light swearing, "But..." and he yawned again, cutting off the flow of questions he was about to ask as to _why _the food wasn't for Gramps like it normally was "I'm tired..." Zoro blinked at him, his lips twitching for a moment before he too yawned. He hadn't even known he wanted to! But when he'd seen Luffy yawn, he couldn't help it!

"Yeah... same..." the older teen sighed before he (without warning) slumped backwards onto the grass, now fast asleep. Luffy blinked at him, starting to get used to Zoro's little fall-asleep-and-wake-up-half-an-hour-later naps. So, while Zoro was basically out cold, Luffy laid his head on the older teen's stomach a little, watching him cautiously before deciding that no, he couldn't do that. If Zoro woke up, then he might be mad and he didn't want to make Zoro mad... So he pulled away and lay down as close as he could to Zoro without actually touching him.

Both of them were fast asleep when Nami and Sanji came to find them... and both of them stayed asleep while Nami took pictures, and Sanji filed different comments away in the back of his mind to use against Zoro later. After all, an opportunity like this was hardly one to be missed now, was it? Once the two had had their fun, they woke both boys up and led them back to the house again. They decided to let both sleep for another hour or so whilst Nami got ready to go out, seeing as the two were practically zombies standing. Zoro had retreated to his room and Luffy to his. The older had flopped onto his bed asleep before he even hit the mattress whilst Luffy had curled up on the floor beside his bed, sighing as he drifted off. Nami gazed at them fondly as she walked past their respective doors. Shopping was going to be very... interesting, to say the least.

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**  
Clarobell: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review!!**

**Plushie: Ya, no no reviewy, no no reply. So review! And hear our idiotic responses! -whacked by clarobell- ow! ... -pouts- **


	10. Explosive Circumstances

**Clarobell: Well, here's chapter 10 guys! Thanks so much for the reviews!! Zoro and Luffy may once again seem OOC in this chapter, but you have to understand, its all part of the fic. Some people are asking why they're like this and why have we made them OOC, but you'll just have to be patient. This fic is going at a slow pace, with ups and downs. Things will slowly be revealed in chapters to come.**

**Plushie: As we've said previously and when you first started reading this fic, Zoro and Luffy, and Nami and Sanji, are NOT Eiichiro Oda's original characters in their totality. They have been made partially ours. If you don't like that, I'm sorry but that's the way it is. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far!! **

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--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 10: Explosive Circumstances**_

Nami applied the last of her make up and smiled at her reflection before fluffing her hair a little and heading out of the lounge and up the stairs. She stopped at Luffy's room but shook her head and headed to Zoro's instead. He would be more difficult to get out, so he should be first to wake.

"Zoro?" she called. There was no response. Zoro was awake though, and he did hear her, he just didn't _want _to respond. His face was buried in his pillow, and his eyes were tired but he just couldn't get them to close so he could go to sleep.

"Zoro!" Nami barked sharply, "Come on! We're going shopping at the main centre and you're not staying home this time!" and she put a hand on her hip. Zoro groaned into his pillow.

"Why the hell not!?" he growled in return. Nami rolled her eyes. She knew Zoro was being difficult, but she wasn't going to let him get away with it.

"Just get your lazy ass up!" she repeated. She didn't like being sharp with Zoro, but sometimes it was the only way to get him to co-operate. She turned and walked back out of the room, looking to Sanji, who shrugged and walked into Luffy's room. Leaning down, he gave Luffy a hearty shake. No reaction. The cook contemplated using the word 'food' to wake him, but decided against it as he realised, Luffy from the sounds of it, had probably never been in a car or any kind of moving vehicle before. There was no telling if he would react badly. Maybe it would be best to leave him asleep. From the look he and Nami suddenly shared, he could tell her thoughts were going the same way. Sighing, Sanji hefted the kid onto his back and moved back out into the corridor where Nami was tapping her fingers on the banister in a rather annoyed fashion.

"Do you think you could get some shoes and socks for him Nami-san?" he asked and walked out, moving around to the small garage where their car rested. It was a normal size car, black and cleaned to the shine.

Moving over to the driver's side, he opened the back door behind it and let Luffy slide onto the seat before sitting him up and then buckling him in easily. He left the door open and went back into the house at a quick jog to find Nami was still glaring up the stairs.

"Maybe we should just bring his sandals?" Sanji wondered. Nami shrugged.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." she replied softly.

"Oi! Zoro! Luffy's coming!" Sanji called, hoping that would bring the stubborn teen down. Zoro stayed exactly where he was, pretending he couldn't hear and pretending that he wasn't tempted simply because Luffy was going. Nami became annoyed then.

"Last warning Zoro! If you don't come down, Sanji's going to come up there and hug you." She warned, a small smirk coming to her face. Both Sanji and Zoro shuddered at the same time. Zoro wasn't stupid, and he knew Nami would make Sanji do that, so he got up grudgingly off his bed and poked his head out the door before moving down the stairs and glaring at her through narrowed, and tired eyes.

"Fine." and he moved to the door, scratching at his own head and slipping his shoes on. Nami smiled at Sanji smugly as she followed him out.

Zoro grumbled a little to himself as he walked out to the car and got into the back seat beside Luffy. Why did he always let people boss him around? Stupid Nami... and Sanji... Feeling guilty for thinking these thoughts, Zoro frowned even harder and mentally berated himself. They'd taken care of him after all.

"You need new clothes anyway, Zoro. And so does our new stray. Those clothes practically hang off him." Sanji commented as he got into the driver's side. Zoro ignored him and instead turned to Luffy.

"He's still asleep!?" he asked incredulously and turned to blink at Nami as she threw Luffy's sandals into the back and then got into her seat.

"He's been asleep since you two went upstairs." she replied.

Zoro nodded, glancing to Luffy as he buckled himself in. The seat belt had been altered by Sanji so it sat loosely around Zoro and he wouldn't panic, and so that if they did have a crash, it would instantly snap into the proper place. Nami had been very impressed with Sanji's ingenuity, but then had rolled her eyes when he twittered around the room for the rest of the afternoon after her congratulating him.

Luffy let out a noise beside him and Zoro watched him to make sure he was ok, but the boy just seemed to be dreaming. Luffy let out a little sigh with each breath, his head rolling to the side as they turned corners and his mouth slightly open. Quietly, Luffy's stomach rumbled which caused Nami to give a soft snort. Zoro watched him for a while and then turned his head back when Sanji started the car. He blinked interestedly as the cook fiddled with the gears for a moment and then looked over at Nami.

"Okay, let's go…" Sanji said as he backed the car out onto the road. "Zoro, keep an eye on the kid okay? I don't know if he's ever been in a car before."

"Don't know. He's fast asleep, so I don't think it matters." he replied, not in the least worried about the cars. They were something he was used to, and not afraid of. After all, he'd been taken to places in cars at the orphanage, and the cars themselves weren't the bad things, it was what waited him at the other end. Still, Zoro knew that Nami and Sanji would never take him to a place that was bad for him. Nami, who had just buckled herself in after rearranging the air condition and what not, frowned at Sanji's slow speed.

"Come on Sanji, we want to get a good parking spot." she said. Sanji grinned at her.

"Of course Nami-swaan!" and he pushed the accelerator down, making the car jump and earning a smirk from Zoro. It wasn't a long trip, maybe 10-15 minutes, but the hardest part was finding a parking spot. Sanji managed to squeeze the car into a spot on the first level of underground parking and he grinned proudly at Nami, who gave him a smile in return that made him sigh in a goofy way. Zoro, who had just looked out the window, noticed all the people milling around at the entrance to the escalators that would lead them into the centre. He shuddered involuntarily and looked back down at the seat in front of him. Nami heard the soft intake of breath behind her and discreetly rolled her eyes.

"Come on Zoro. They're not going to hurt you." she assured him, turning in her seat to look over it and down at him.

Zoro shook his head, the shuddering getting a little worse. Nami let out a soft sigh. How many times had they been through this now? And Zoro _still _wasn't over it! She hoped he wouldn't bolt. They would have to play it calm, careful and they would have to keep away from the most crowded areas. Not to mention she'd forgotten that it was rush hour. But still... Zoro shouldn't have been like this. Last time they had come here, he'd been moderately okay. He'd stuck to her and Sanji like glue, kept his eyes averted and stuck his hands in his pockets... but that was all. His panic attacks had been subsiding. Then... it hit her. The run in with Alvida. He'd been acting jumpy since then. Frowning a little, she mentally sent a barrage of curses straight at the bitch who had made Zoro this way.

"Wanna go home…" Zoro mumbled under his breath, eyes wide.

Sanji sighed and looked at Nami before turning and reaching an arm over to Zoro, rubbing at his back and then up the back of his neck. Nami's delicate hands were the best for this, but Sanji had a feeling she was a little annoyed with Zoro, and he didn't want Zoro to pick up on that. Not here anyway. So, during the time that they'd had with Zoro, he'd learned that a strong rubbing of his back and neck seemed to soothe him. He didn't like people too close, but he liked to know people he knew were there, and they'd found out that the green haired teen easily distinguished their touches apart.

"Come on Zoro, we're right here with you. Nami will be on one side, Luffy on the other and I'll walk behind you, like a human shield ok? And we won't go anywhere too crowded, right Nami-san?" and he turned to her for confirmation as he felt Zoro begin to relax under his hand, and the teen's eyes became tired and droopy again as they tended to be all the time due to lack of sleep. Luffy slept through this whole ordeal and still didn't wake.

"Right." Nami replied to Sanji, nodding and smiling. Zoro nodded slowly and then turned to Luffy.

"Luffy's still asleep…" he said quietly. Sanji smiled.

"That's ok." and he craned his neck to look at Luffy, "Oi, kid, dinner time." The affect was instantaneous.

"Naa?" Luffy noised as he jerked awake, "Dinner time?" and he looked around and narrowed his eyes a little in confusion, "Where are we?"

Nami reached over and pressed the seatbelt release and it snapped away from Luffy as he watched it in awe. Zoro blinked at Luffy for a moment before looking back out of the car and humming a little worriedly before pulling the catch and stepping out, straightening his shirt, twisting his hands together and then finally deciding that the best place for them was in his pockets, so that's where they were stuffed. Nami smiled at Luffy.

"We're at the shopping centre, and if you leave Zoro's side, you'll get lost. Ok?" she explained as she got out of the car as well, moving to stand beside Zoro as Sanji let Luffy out. Luffy blinked and then bounced around to Zoro's side.

"Okay! I'll stay with Zoro because Zoro's cool! Ne Zoro?" and he resisted the urge to simply jump on Zoro, glomping him effectively then and there, and instead took hold of Zoro's hand, tugging it from his pocket and intertwining his fingers with the green haired teen's. Nami reached into the car and took out Luffy's sandals, placing them in front of the boy who grinned widely, thanked her, and then slipped them on. He was so excited! A new place, a new adventure! Something else that he'd never seen before!

While Luffy was thinking about how exciting this all was, Zoro was having an argument with himself inside his head. He wanted to be strong, and brave for Luffy. He so _badly _wanted to! But the other half was telling him that if he went in there, then _she _might be there. She might find him again... and not to mention, Luffy would see his weaker side. Zoro was more afraid of that than anything else and it caused him to back up a step… straight into Sanji's chest. The taller teen rolled his eyes and smirked before raising his hands to massage Zoro's shoulders and playfully whispering in Zoro's ear.

"Okay Zoanator. There's people on your left, people on the right and people in front. Take a deep breath my man. You can do this, the championship title is yours! Now, charge Zoro! Charge!" he said, pretending to be Zoro's coach. It was quite common for Sanji to do things like this to try and relieve the tension of the situation, and to distract Zoro's attention from the people. It worked. Zoro turned to Sanji with a raised eyebrow and a 'the hell!?' look.

Luffy was grinning at Sanji and Zoro, thinking this was all very cool while Nami was hiding a giggle behind her hand. She was glad she had Sanji around to help out. He was very handy in situations like these, and he quite often diffused potentially dangerous arguments that she got into with Zoro over certain things. Nami was better at calming people down when they were upset, and Sanji was better at calming them down when they were scared out of their wits. Heaving a deep sigh, Zoro walked forward, Luffy's hand still clasped in his, actually quite grateful for the contact, and not caring what others thought of it. It made him feel more comfortable.

Nami frowned a little as she walked along, watching Zoro's jerky reactions when a particularly loud noise made itself known, and how he was more inclined to want to turn around and go back to the car than move forward. She was pissed now. Alvida had done this. Before Zoro had gone to that circus, and seen her, he'd been recovering from this particular fear quite nicely. And now he was back to the way he had been a few months ago. Mentally, she put a death warrant out on Alvida, and then she took a deep, silent breath and let it out. She had to relax. Both Luffy and Zoro would easily pick up on her anger, and if she kept going, it was only a matter of time before one of them said something, or started panicking. Taking another breath, she turned to Luffy as the boy gasped in amazement.

"Wooooow…" Luffy gasped, looking around in amazement, his mouth in a small 'o'. Nami smiled at him.

"It's big, isn't it Luffy?" she asked. Indeed the place was big. It was four levels tall, and each level had a different theme. The first level, the one they were on now, was groceries and the like, and they would do that when they came back down again. The second level up was packed with clothes stores and jewellery. A girl's dream in other words. The third level was mainly power tools, video games and souvenir shops. And last of all was the fourth floor that looked out over the whole of Cleff town. It was furniture, electrical goods (tv's, fridges, dishwashers etc) and toy shops.

Sanji walked along behind Zoro, his eyes glancing between both Luffy and the green haired man in case either one had a bad reaction to something, but he had a feeling Luffy wasn't like Zoro in the respect of panicking when he saw something different. Luffy was more in awe than anything else. Nami stepped onto the escalator that led up to the second level, and Luffy followed her, nearly overbalancing and then laughing as he was pulled upwards. Zoro stepped onto it, and Sanji brought up the tail, stepping onto it and leaning his hip against the railing that slid up with the escalator. Zoro was keeping his eyes firmly focused on the ground in front of him, blocking out the noise and the kids yelling around him. Luffy was looking around in awe.

"So cool!" Luffy cried, latching onto Zoro's arm rather than just his hand. Zoro's head shot up and he tensed but let out a soft breath as Luffy didn't progress further and hug him "Where are we going?" and he looked to Nami, who had just stepped off at the top. Luffy jumped over the edge and back onto the solid ground and Zoro stepped off beside him, his eyes still focused on the ground in front of him. Sanji stepped off and sidled around to Zoro's other side which didn't have anyone on it. Nami smiled.

"Clothes. You and Zoro both need new clothes." She explained. Luffy blinked and then grinned.

"Kay." he replied, having learnt to respond with that rather than ask more questions. People seemed to get annoyed when he asked questions… and that's what gramps had said… so it was better to just agree even if he didn't understand. Nami led them to a large store which wasn't nearly as full as the rest of the centre and as soon as they passed through the front of the store and into the main part of the clothes area, all noise from outside was seemingly cut off. It was silent. Zoro relaxed considerably once they had gotten inside and Nami smirked as she looked back at Luffy.

"Zoro likes it amongst the clothes. All dark and broody." she teased and Zoro shot a quick glare at her. In fact, he did like the silence, but he didn't like the dark part. Giggling, Nami led them towards the men's section at the back. Luffy looked around, his head whizzing back and forth as he spotted cool things on every side of him. He'd never seen so many clothes before!

"Oooh! Lookit all the stuff!" Luffy chirped and made to move away from Zoro, but he remembered Nami's warning and quickly stepped back to Zoro's side, snuggling up to him and causing Zoro to look down in interest and curiosity. Once his mind had calmed down a little, he had begun to think about things other than panic and people. His thoughts turned to Luffy most often and curiously enough, Zoro found he didn't mind at all.

The boy was cute, in a little kid kind of way, but he also seemed to have a massive thing with him. Why would someone be so awed with someone like… well… him? What did he have that no one else had? Well, other than natural green hair… Luffy seemed to notice Zoro was looking at him, and turned his head to look up at Zoro, tilting it slightly before grinning widely and tugging a little on Zoro's arm and nodding his head towards someone of the clothes that were lining the racks. Zoro smiled in response and looked at the rack as well. Why did Luffy like him so much?

"Okay Zoro, you gonna be ok with me?" Sanji asked, sticking his hands in his pockets and turning to his Marimo friend. For some absurd reason, Zoro reacted instantly by clutching onto Luffy's arm with his hand. The boy blinked up at him until Zoro realized what he'd done, and began to release his hand again. Beside them, Nami raised an eyebrow at Sanji, who shrugged in response, indicating he had no idea why Zoro had done that. In fact, Zoro wasn't sure himself.

"Nami-san is better at sizes, so she'll take Luffy to try some things on. We already know what your measurements are." Sanji said as if in explanation. Blinking back at him, Zoro nodded.

"Right…" he replied and moved to Sanji's side. Luffy looked at him, Zoro looked at Luffy and then they were led in different directions. Sanji led Zoro over to some of the shirts and things and turned to him with a smirk.

"Okay. You have a budget of two hundred dollars. Choose what you like, and I'll see if they have it in your size." Sanji explained. Zoro nodded and then Sanji moved away, attempting to give Zoro a little freedom. The more paranoid teen peered at Sanji for a moment before looking down at the clothes in front of him. There was nothing there he liked, and just a few steps out of his reach was a group of clothes that looked good.

But moving away from Sanji… that often led to bad things in strange places like this. But maybe if he just took a little step… just a little one, it would be okay. Zoro shuffled his outside foot away from Sanji and then slid his other foot over to join it and he winced, expecting something bad to happen. He'd been taken out of the orphanage very rarely as a kid, but when he had, he'd ALWAYS gotten into trouble if he moved away from Alvida's side. She didn't like him being out of her sight. But, the expected thing of getting hit by either a sharp hand, or a heavy belt, didn't happen. In fact...

Nothing did.

"Ha…!" he noised softly and then glanced around at Sanji to make sure the blonde hadn't heard him, before taking another step and grinning. Nothing bad was happening! It was alright to move away from Sanji! Despite Zoro's furtive look at him, Sanji knew very well that Zoro had made that sound before, and he was smirking and sniggering quietly to himself as he pretended to search through a rack of clothes. It really was a little weird to see someone who looked like Zoro, act so… childishly. Luffy at least looked the part. He sniggered quietly again as Zoro's steps became a little more frequent and out of the corner of his eye, Sanji could see that the green haired teen was moving away. His laughter died as he thought about how well Zoro had been doing before his run in with Alvida. He had been able to go out to the store and wander the streets alone quite confidently, but now, all of that confidence seemed to have been sapped away. Hopefully it was only a phase. Sanji didn't think he could handle having Zoro latching onto him constantly. He liked him, he really did. Zoro was like family now, but having him that close all the time, he doubted he could keep his temper in check.

Zoro continued taking steps to the side until he stopped and looked back to see Sanji was actually a fair distance away now. It would be best to stop here and look. And so he did, watching Sanji out of the corner of his eye the whole time. Meanwhile, Luffy was watching Nami as she looked him up and down.

"You're so small." she muttered. Tilting his head, Luffy blinked.

"I am?" he asked and then smiled. Nami smiled back at him.

"Yep. Now… I don't think adult clothes will fit you properly with yur current size. So… oh wait! What about women's…" and she moved off towards the women's section. Luffy followed obediently, keeping close behind her.

Zoro was looking through the clothes, and his confidence had gone up a fair bit at his little success of moving away from Sanji. He was looking through a large rack of jeans that had shorts hanging nearby to them. Wrinkling his nose, Zoro avoided the shorts. He hated shorts.

Nami paused to look at a row of smaller t-shirts that looked as though they would be better to suit Luffy, and as she stopped, he walked straight into her. She glanced back at him, as Luffy rubbed his nose and looked up at her with BIG eyes and she fell the 'squee factor' crawling up inside her.

"Awwwwwwww." and she grabbed him and hugged him, "You're so cute!"

"Neehee!" Luffy cried and hugged back enthusiastically. Nearby, an old woman looked up at the noise and she smiled.

"Aww, young love… how sweet." she said and toddled away, clutching her purse string bag to her chest. Nami blinked and then looked down at Luffy, who was nuzzling her shoulder affectionately and she gently pulled him away.

"Don't think so." She muttered and went back to looking through the shirts again. Luffy yawned widely, pouting at the loss of attention. He fidgeted as he looked around and then yawned again, tempted to lay down and curl up for a sleep. After a little while, Nami pulled out a bundle of shirts and looked down at Luffy to make sure everything was right and then she smiled.

"Now, to the changing room." and she led him down another aisle. Luffy followed quickly, trotting after her. He had just seen her red hair whip out of sight when he tripped over the too long pants and fell flat on his face. Yelping as he fell, Luffy whacked his nose and winced as he quickly scrambled to his feet again. He paused when he couldn't see Nami… anywhere.

"Nami?" he asked, looking around. When she didn't reply, he began to wander through the aisles, looking for her. All thoughts of Nami fled from his mind though when he saw a man at the front of the store selling those strange round things that bobbed and floated in the air he'd seen at the circus. Smiling widely, he made his way over to have a look.

Nami noticed something was missing, and she turned quickly to find that Luffy, who she thought had been following her, had disappeared.

"Oh great… we're going to go through this again." she sighed and retraced her steps, thinking all the while that she hoped he hadn't bolted like Zoro used to do. That damned green haired boy had bolted like a frightened horse as soon as he was out of their sight. Still did! At least Zoro was noticeable with his green hair, but Luffy would blend in.

"Luffy?" she called, looking around. This wasn't good. She searched the women's section three times over, but it was all in vain. The only person who probably had a chance of finding Luffy, was Sanji with his height. And possibly Zoro with his sharp eyes. Scanning the area once more, she turned and ran back towards the men's section.

Zoro strained to reach that shirt at the back. It was the perfect one! He wanted it… but he just couldn't reach it. He strained a little further, closing his eyes as he tried to reach it, but he just couldn't! Sighing a little miserably, he pulled out and opened his eyes… but it was still dark. It was… dark! Zoro whimpered and waved his hands, trying to get at whatever it was on his head. It was pulling on him!

_"Hold still you little brat... it won't hurt... much..." Cruel laughter followed. _

The memory overtook Zoro's mind and his eyes clenched shut as he started to tremble. Nothing was going to save him now...

"Ah!" he cried, still trying to grab at whatever was covering his eyes. Panic was taking over, and it was taking over damn quickly. Flooding him with that horrible, helpless feeling, "Get it off me!" he whimpered. He was just about to start really yelling when it was yanked off of his head, and blue eyes looked into his own. Sanji. The blonde let out a sigh and smiled at him as he slung an arm over Zoro's shoulder and led him away from the racks, tossing the shorts that had been over Zoro's head, back to the pile again. Pushing Zoro gently over to a table that had folded up jackets, shirts, jumpers, and soft tracksuit pants, he smirked.

"Okay Zoro, no evil glomping shorts in sight here eh?" and he chuckled, joking with Zoro to try and dispel the negative mood. Zoro, who was panting a little heavily from his fright, nodded. He was still in panic mode, but mixing with that frightened adrenaline rush, was hot shame. He panicked all the time... and he hated it. Swiping a hand over his face, he nodded again and attempted a shaky smile, that ultimately failed and he gave up.

"R-right. Wait… what?" and he looked at Sanji, all traces of fear gone from his eyes and replaced with a suspicious curiosity, "What the hell is a glomp?" Sanji sighed. Zoro was swearing a lot lately, and he had a feeling it had a lot to do with him and his own dirty mouth. He filed a mental note away in his head, one that read 'Stop swearing around Zoro' and smirked.

"It's what Luffy does when he hugs you. An overenthusiastic hug." Sanji explained, snorting a little. That would be the easiest way to explain it. Zoro blinked for a moment, registering this information in his mind before nodding.

"Oh…" he noised and then watched as Sanji moved along the table a little way away from him. He kept his eyes on Sanji for a moment, before looking down at the table and picking up a shirt and peering at it for a moment, before folding it perfectly and placing it back down on the table in the exact same place. If he didn't do that in the orphanage, they used to throw him into a chamber that was dark and cold and then later on, Alvida would come with her belt… Zoro straightened it perfectly, shivering at the thought and he folded his hands and then pushed them into his pockets. Sanji, who'd been once again watching out of the corner of his eye, sighed heavily and walked back over, reigning in his annoyance.

"Okay Marimo-brain." He said as he approached, smiling so Zoro wouldn't take it personally and would know that he wasn't actually mad, "The cold weather is almost here, ne? So that's why we're shopping. Pick out all the fuzzy warm stuff you like and will need to keep warm when the snow arrives and then we'll grab you a winter jacket okay?" and Zoro blinked at him for a moment before looking back down at the table.

Stretching out a hand, he took hold of a fuzzy jumper he'd been eyeing for a while, but wasn't sure about getting and picked it up. Despite Sanji's best attempts at keeping the anger from his voice, Zoro had sensed it easily and now he was quite content to just keep his mouth shut. Sanji mad… was not a good thing. The jumper was a little too fuzzy for his liking, but he pressed it to his chest regardless and hugged it before looking for more things that looked warm. Sighing under his breath and brushing back his hair, Sanji crossed his arms and turned away, frowning and muttering under his breath until he got his annoyance under control again.

---

Luffy had wandered up to the man with the round things and was looking at them in awe as they floated and bobbed in the air in front of him. The man smiled.

"Here." he said, handing Luffy a red one, "For free."

"Really mister? Wow! What is it?" He asked, forgetting that Zoro had already explained it to him at the circus. But that was AGES ago, and, surely he wasn't expected to remember something like that? The balloon vendor tied the string around Luffy's wrist and leaned back again, putting his hands on his hips and smiling.

"It's a balloon." the man explained as Luffy lifted a finger and prodded it, giggling at the way it bounced back and forth on the string, before prodding it again and laughing harder, "It's filled with air, so don't prod it or it'll explode." The man said. He was positive this kid was mentally impaired. What teenager would run up to him that excitedly and then not even know what they were excited about? It was just… mental! What happened next though, was much, much worse. Luffy's eyes widened at this and he jerked his finger away, trying to step away from the balloon, but it just insisted on following him.

"E-explode!?" and he stepped back again, trying to escape the balloon. But the evil thing just followed him, bobbing towards him. Becoming a little panicked, Luffy stepped away again and the balloon vendor gave him a weird look and then Luffy whined loudly. It wasn't going to leave him alone! He turned and ran, waving his arms and screaming about 'killer balloon thingys' as the balloon continued to 'chase' him.

---

Nami finally spotted Sanji and ran over to him, panting heavily as Zoro looked up and blinked at her before he looked around, obviously searching for Luffy.

"Luffy's gone!" she panted. Sanji's visible eye widened.

"Gone?" and he dropped the shirt he was holding and leaped onto the table, looking around. Zoro's eyes widened as well.

"You lost him!?" Zoro growled, incredulous. Nami frowned at him and Sanji shook his head.

"I can't see him." he said.

"I didn't mean to!" Nami defended, "He just disappeared. Hey… wait, Zoro!" but Zoro was gone, running through the clothes store and towards the front. Sanji leapt off the table and hit the ground running, easily keeping Zoro in sight.

"Fuck!" He swore loudly as he flashed past startled people. Zoro had already made it to the front of the shopping centre, and was looking around frantically, disregarding the fact that there were heaps of people swarming around him.

"Luffy?" He called and looked left and right before sprinting in another direction. Sanji skidded around the corner at the front of the store, startling the balloon vendor who had no idea about the commotion he had caused. Nami was way behind, having already had a panicked run back to Sanji, and the men with their long legs were much faster than she was anyway. It was by pure luck, that Sanji glanced back at her and spun around, catching her in his arms and running backwards as he flipped her up so he could carry her bridal style.

"Please forgive me Nami-san, but we have no other choice right now. If Zoro has a bad reaction…" and he trailed off, not wanting to think of the consequences. Nami squeaked as she was picked up and she clasped her hands around Sanji's neck, blushing slightly.

"R-right." she replied.

---

Luffy was in hysterics. No matter where he went, the exploding balloon just kept following him! It wouldn't leave him alone! In all its evil roundness, it was going to explode and it was going to kill him! Sniffling, Luffy stopped and ran in another direction, not caring in the slightest who was looking at him.

"It's gonna explode!! It's gonna explode!!" He cried as he ran through the centre, and people began whispering amongst each other.

"Is there a bomb?" one asked.

"I don't know, there could be!"

"I'm getting outta here!" and then a sense of hysteria settled over the whole place. People began picking up their children and hurrying to their cars. Others ran to hide in clothes stores, trying to hide from the possible explosion. Luffy sniffled loudly, sobbing hysterically as the balloon just continued to follow him, no matter where he ran.

---

Zoro skidded around another corner, slipping on the floor and barely stopping himself from falling over by grabbing the corner of the building. People were running away from the area, and Zoro could see a red balloon bobbing around in the panicking people's midst.

"Luffy!?" he called as loudly as he could, people shoving him from left and right, battering him around but he didn't pay any attention to them. His full attention was on the boy running amongst them. Grinding his teeth, Zoro pushed his way amongst the people, shoving them out of the way as he forced his way to the hysterical boy. He was kicked, elbowed and stood on, but he just kept pushing through.

Luffy wasn't even running in a particular direction anymore. He was so hysterical, that he just kept running back and forth, the balloon jerking along behind him and just making Luffy scream harder as it bumped against him. Finally reaching him, Zoro dived forward and wrapped his arms around Luffy's waist, sinking them both to the floor and holding him tightly. He sighed deeply, even though Luffy was still thrashing wildly, not realising it was Zoro holding him.

"Explo… ball… explode!" Luffy cried, not even able to put coherent sentences together. It was only when Zoro was knocked to the side that he raised his eyes and saw the millions of legs… the millions of hands and the hysteria taking place around him. Memories of running children... screams... cracking noises that made your blood run cold, flashed through Zoro's mind as he glanced from side to side.

People were running left and right, and his arms clenched tighter on Luffy, who just screamed harder as the balloon jerked at his face and he shied away from it. Zoro's breathing began to increase and soon he was panting, and sweating and shaking violently. People knocked him and he jumped, more people knocked him and he leapt to his feet, Luffy held to his chest and thrashing wildly. Legs were going in every direction, while the boy's arms were swinging wildly.

"…Oh god…" Zoro whispered, shuddering so badly that he could barely stand up, and his arms clenched painfully around Luffy who screamed harder. The balloon was jerking around like a wild thing while both teens lost control of themselves.

"No! Nooo!" Luffy squealed, thrashing violently as tears ran down his pale and sweaty face. What were they going to do?

* * *

**Clarobell: So, are we evil or what? –grin– we may release the next chapter early and give it to you on Wednesday if you think the cliff hanger is bad enough. Let us know, but be quick! You only have until Wednesday!! –insert evil laughter here– **

Plushie: Err, Clarobell's Wednesday is my Thursday, so, yeah. Anyone who is even close to my timeline, that's the times. Though... I doubt it. You all seem to be americans and english peoples and what not. ANYWAY, plushie is getting off track. The next chapter will be up... soon. -sigh- Just review when you read the chapter. -shakes head- 


	11. Calming Down

**Clarobell: Okay, so, here's the chapter, as promised. I'm tired, rather grumpy, so review or else I'll poke you with a chainsaw. Either that or I wont update. 'Tis your choice.**

**Plushie: Whee!! And to make up for Claro's grumpiness, I shall be excessively happy!! Don't know why, but I think I had too much sugar yesterday!!! 8D You guys know how I am! ... well, most of you do. Anyway! Here's the next chapter!**

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--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 11: Calming down**_

Looking around a little frantically, Sanji finally spotted Zoro's green head, beside a violently bobbing red balloon. And from what he could see, Zoro was having a panic attack that was getting more serious by the second. It wasn't helped by the fact that people kept running into him every few seconds, while children screamed and people ran hither and thither in an attempt to escape the 'explosion' that was never going to come.

He could hear Luffy's screams and he raced towards them, forcing his way through groups of panicked people. Setting Nami down when he got there, he grabbed onto Zoro's hands, briefly glancing up at the unseeing green eyes. Fingers were digging into Luffy's ribs and Zoro wasn't letting go, so Sanji grabbed onto one of his fingers and pulled it away, releasing it, before getting his hand under Zoro's and pulling it away entirely.

He held it with one hand while forcing Zoro's other hand away from Luffy, who dropped to the floor, and sobbed, an absolute mess. He flinched away as the balloon drifted towards him and coughed on his own sobs. Seeing what the problem was, Nami hurried over and dropped to her knees beside Luffy, grabbing the balloon's string and snapping it so the 'explosion' drifted away and up to the top of the centre, bumping against the ceiling lazily like it hadn't done a thing wrong. Grabbing Luffy, she hugged him to her chest and rocked gently, patting his hair and making soothing sounds, trying to distract him from the screaming and panic that was going on around them. Sanji had forced Zoro's hands up over his eyes.

"Deep breath, Zoro." he instructed softly and firmly before placing his hands over the teen's ears. The affect was almost instant. Zoro began gasping in lung full's of air, as Luffy sobbed quietly into Nami's shoulder. Poor Luffy had never been so scared before! Not since he'd had a _**really**_bad beating from gramps. He whined and shivered as Nami continued to rock him gently.

"Come on Luffy, it's okay now. It was never going to hurt you!" She whispered against his hair, continuously running her hands through the black strands. Zoro was still gasping, but it was becoming calmer and he wasn't shaking as violently anymore. He was frightened, embarrassed and ashamed and it was all making him so confused and even more frightened. Why did these things have to happen?! Nothing ever went right... Not when _he_ was around!

"Wanna go home…" he mumbled out after a while, barely audible over the slowly fading screams around them. Sanji turned to face Zoro and opened his mouth to reply but stopped, clamping it closed again. Zoro wasn't one to show much emotion and he was startled to see tears running down the green haired teen's cheeks as he continued to mumble, "Home…"

Sanji didn't even bother to respond, and just started to lead Zoro towards the nearest exit, avoiding the people who were all staring and pointing and whispering. He sent a dark glare at them as he led Zoro around the corner. Nami saw Sanji leaving, and she hurriedly stood, helping Luffy up with her and wrapping a hand around his head, still shushing him softy and keeping him close to her.

"We'll take you home, and Sanji can make you a nice cup of hot chocolate, ne?" she whispered. Luffy hiccupped and sobbed, just letting her lead him after Sanji. Zoro stumbled slightly, but regained his feet and they continued. People were making a wide path for them now, and Sanji frowned as he heard various comments from the crowd.

"Look at that boy, he's crying like a five year old. And he's a teenager!" 

"Yeah, and that guy in front of the blonde, he looks so weird."

Sanji heard, and he clamped his hands tighter on Zoro's ears and hurried him on. They were just kids themselves, didn't know what they were talking about. The adults were whispering too, but they offered words of pity, thinking that the two, as most tended to do in their 'episodes', were 'retards'. What the hell did they know!? They'd never been through the things Luffy and Zoro had had to suffer. They'd never had hardship in _their_ lives! Luffy and Zoro didn't need pity! They needed sympathy, somebody to understand! Those people could never understand. Probably had everything handed to them on a silver platter.

He scowled as he guided Zoro onto the escalator and kept him balanced. Nami was hurrying Luffy along, still talking so she could cover up the comments the crowds were making. She grew more and more irritated as she hurried Luffy towards the escalator. She stepped him onto it and then twisted to glare at a couple of girls who were laughing behind their hands.

"Shut up!" Nami hissed at them, and they started and hurried away, looking scandalised.

This whole day had been one big disaster. She should have let Luffy settle in a little bit and taught him a few things before taking him anywhere. But she hadn't expected to lose him! And then have him get a balloon and claim that it was going to explode! _That_ was a worst case scenario... which... she should have thought about. She just hadn't expected Luffy to lose it like that... he was so calm and happy, and with something like a balloon too! Well... suffice it to say that balloons were not a part of her 'danger' list.

Sanji helped Zoro off the escalator and moved him towards the doors that led into the car park. Once they were through them and there weren't any people whispering vehement comments, or making jokes that they thought were funny (which were anything but), the cook loosened his hold on Zoro's ears. But the teen's hands were still clamped over his own eyes, holding tightly. Nami gently guided Luffy off of the escalator and moved him towards the door. The smaller boy let out a hiccup and a short sob.

"It's okay… I'm here…" she whispered, running a hand through his hair and checking to make sure the straw hat had stayed on it's string around the kid's neck. The last thing they needed was another panic attack because that disappeared. Sanji spotted the car and began moving towards it.

"Okay buddy, just a little further, everything's fine now." he reassured Zoro, not caring if the teen could hear him or not. Luffy slowly started to calm, and he began to feel very, _very _bad. He caused all this; it was his fault that Zoro had a panic attack, his fault that those people had whispered mean things about them. There was a beating waiting for him at home, he knew it. So Luffy did the only thing he knew, he fell into obedient mode.

Going silent, he started walking on his own two feet and leaned away from Nami, who let him go but still continued to watch him. Zoro only heard a buzz in his ears as Sanji spoke, but he sensed the calming tone to it and he could feel his still trembling shoulders calming slowly. How could he have done that to Sanji and Nami? Just run off like that? He shouldn't have left Luffy, and then Luffy wouldn't have gotten lost, and then none of this would have happened. They'd be sitting in a nice quiet restaurant, having something to eat if only he hadn't been so stupid, and hadn't bolted like that!

"Okay Zoro, you're safe now." Sanji said and Zoro slowly let his hands relax from his eyes, peering down to see the window of the car. Nami helped Luffy slide into the backseat, and gave him one last hug before gently closing the door and getting into her own seat, letting her head rest back against the seat. What a day. Zoro opened the door to the car and slid in as well, buckling himself in and then bending totally over and pressing his forehead to his knees, wrapping his arms around his head and just focusing on calming down, and taking deep, deep breaths. If he kept them up, he would be able to slip into sleep and for a while he would be okay. Until nightmares woke him again... but, what little sleep he could get was always welcome.

But, this, and everything over the last two days, had just been too much. He wanted to go home and lie on his bed, or on any soft surface, and just sleep. Maybe for once he would be able to wake up naturally, without being awoken by a nightmare. Maybe just once.

Luffy glanced at Zoro and felt his own lip tremble. It was _his _fault Zoro was so upset now... He didn't like seeing Zoro upset. Sanji got into the driver's seat, and Nami turned her face to him as he shrugged at her. Everything had just gotten way out of control. Keeping his eyes averted, Luffy let his bangs fall over his face and hide him from view. He wanted to disappear into the back of the car now. He just didn't want to be noticed. Zoro frowned against his knees, and tried to force the words back, but they broke free.

"Why did you run off like that?" he whispered angrily.

Luffy didn't reply, and instead shuffled away, pushing himself into his corner of the car. He tried to hide himself even more by curling up on the seat. He liked it even less when Zoro was mad at him... Sanji started the car, not having heard the whisper, and he looked over his shoulder to reverse it out of the parking space, so he could drive up and out of here. He felt so bad for Luffy, but at the same time he was feeling bad for Zoro. A gasp from Luffy and the boy was looking around with large, and frightened eyes, the balloon ordeal still lingering over him.

"It's not Luffy's fault, Zoro. I wasn't watching him properly." Nami said after a while. Zoro didn't listen to her and looked up with angry eyes as tears of frustration and embarrassment welled in them. He slapped a hand at them, driving them away as he turned to Luffy.

"Why?" he asked. Luffy was frightened by the way Zoro was looking at him, and he was frightened by the way the car was speeding up now they were on the main highway. His eyes widened. Normally, he probably would have been excited by such a thing, but after what had just happened, he wasn't feeling very brave, and now they were in something and it was moving…_fast_!

"N-no!" he cried and scrabbled at the latch he'd seen Sanji and Nami use a few hours ago, before finally grabbing it and pulling it, yelling as the seatbelt stopped him from falling out onto the dark road beneath him.

"SHIT!" Sanji yelled, jerking the car a little and causing Luffy to yell in fear. Zoro unbuckled himself and dived over, grabbing Luffy and hauling him back into the car before slamming the door shut and hitting the lock on it so Luffy couldn't do that again. He panted heavily and glared at Luffy.

"The hell'd you do that for!?" he growled, getting back into his own seat and buckling himself back in again.

Nami took a deep breath and looked over at Sanji, who was shaking faintly from the shock. This day was getting worse with everything they did! The blonde reached up to slide a hand through his hair before putting a shaky hand back on the wheel again. That had been so close, and he was fucking glad Zoro had never done _anything _like that.

"Maybe Zoro should sit in the front eh?" She asked softly, peering at Sanji in concern. The blonde didn't hear her.

"I… I wanna go back to gramps! I wanna go home!" Luffy cried, tears in his eyes. This world…it had been so exciting! Why was it so bad now? Everything was just going so wrong and everybody was so mad at him!

Zoro groaned and gripped the back of his head, bending over his knees again. He didn't want to shout and scare Luffy, but he couldn't think of any other way to convey what he was feeling! Luffy was making this harder and bloody harder! Fingers dug into the back of his skull as he forced himself to keep quiet, even though he wanted to tell Luffy that his grandfather was a bastard and that if Luffy went back to him, then he would probably be killed within another few months. Or weeks even.

"You can't go back Luffy… he'll kill you!" Nami said in a firm voice, glancing at the boy behind her.

"No he won't! He's gramps!" Luffy cried, trying to defend his only family. Zoro dug his fingers in further, tugging at his own hair and trying desperately to keep in control. His grip on his patience was slipping, and fast. Sanji growled. He'd had enough of this.

"Damnit Luffy, SHUT UP!" he yelled loudly, making Nami jump. Luffy's eyes widened and he curled in on himself, bowing his head and folding his hands as he fiddled with the other fingers.

"Y-Yes sir." he stuttered and fell totally silent. No sound left Luffy's mouth from then on. Sanji sighed as the car went silent. Really, he'd been hoping that Luffy would stay silent after his ordeal with the balloon, but, apparently not. He didn't want to shout at the kid like that, but one glance at Zoro had told him the green haired teen was about to crack. His hands were shaking on the wheel and Nami watched him with concern until he gave her a short smile to reassure her and she turned away.

Once the car had been silent for a few moments, Zoro began to relax his hold on his own head and slowly raised it. His eyes were so tired that he looked ready to pass out as he let his head rest against the window and he gazed out at the cars rushing past. He gave a slight cough and let the colours blend together as his mind went completely devoid of any thought and the pounding at the back of his head began to quieten. All he could think of, was that he wanted to sleep. So bad.

---

Getting home was easy, and getting Zoro and Luffy out of the car, even easier. Sanji had just gotten the door open when Luffy raced past, heading straight up the stairs, Nami having unlocked his door and unbuckled his seatbelt. She was next, and shrugged miserably and tiredly at Sanji as she headed for the kitchen. Last of all was Zoro, so tired that he could barely walk in a straight line. He stumbled into the house and up the stairs and straight to his room, flopping onto the bed gracelessly. Sanji closed the door and headed into the kitchen to see Nami with her head pillowed on her crossed arms on the table. He moved into the room and sat down heavily at the table.

"I don't know Sanji…" she whispered, sitting up and running a hand through her hair and gazing at him with faintly red eyes.

"I… don't think he can stay here. I want to help him, but, after today…" he replied softly and shook his head, "Who knew he'd react like that?"

Upstairs and crouched by the stairs, was Luffy, listening silently with tears in his eyes. These people were so nice… and he had ruined it! He… he'd messed it up, just like he'd known he would. Nami shook her head at Sanji and breathed in sharply.

"Zoro's one thing… Luffy's another. Same… but opposites." She whispered. Sanji nodded softly. Nami shook her head and bowed it, "Maybe I should have just left Zoro in the street." Sanji frowned and shook his head.

"No, don't be stupid Nami-san. That's your exhaustion talking. Zoro, he's slowly getting better, and he's been with us for a while now. But Luffy… Luffy's like having a child. At least Zoro can shower and feed himself!" and he gave a short and aggravated growl as he lit a cigarette and sucked harshly on it, letting it relax him. He shouldn't be smoking, especially not in front of Nami, but he needed one. Everything had caught up with him now, and his hands were still shaking faintly. Nami shook her head this time.

"But Zoro was like that too! Maybe not to Luffy's extent, but he hardly knew anything." she replied, "Luffy'll get better. He's just been around his grandfather _way_ too much."

"Yeah…" and Sanji heaved a deep sigh, "So what do we do then? Our budget is tight enough as it is with supporting Zoro, and it's not like either of them can get a job. The restaurant hasn't done as well this year, Nami-san. I just… I think maybe we should drive Luffy out to the farther out care home, away from the one Zoro attended, look for ourselves and if it's good, leave him there. It's harsh, but, maybe he'll have a chance there." and Sanji gave Nami a pleading look, who slammed the heel of her palm down on the table.

"No…" she said firmly. The cook looked at her sadly.

"We can't afford to keep him here Nami-san." he whispered, trying to get her to see reason. Luffy was listening carefully, tears streaming down his cheeks and sniffling quietly on occasion. He didn't understand some of the words, but, he knew what they were saying. What they were talking about. Sanji wanted him gone...

"Sanji…" Nami said, looking up at him sternly, "You know we can. You know very well that I have enough for at least six of us to live here happily. If things get rough, I can call Bellemere or you can call Zeff. You know they would send us any money we need in a heartbeat so stop making excuses." Sanji flinched and bowed his head, "I… can't let Luffy go. Sanji, I don't think he can take anymore rejection. He needs to be with people who want to help, not carers who will feed him, dress him, but not do anything for him in the sense of his mental health. They'll let him stay the way he is! They won't care!" and she shook her head, "You insist on sending Luffy away, thinking that they'll look after him just fine and dandy, but they won't Sanji! It'll be torture for him! And the saddest part is... he won't realise it..." and Sanji looked up at her.

"But, if it's good…" he began. Nami shook her head again fiercely.

"I don't care Sanji. Luffy needs us. He needs to be looked after." she replied. Sanji frowned and looked at her.

"But what about Zoro? It's obvious he doesn't want Luffy here anymore!" he defended. Nami fell silent at that, thinking for a moment. Luffy gasped softly, his eyes widened and his heart stopped.

"Zoro… doesn't want me anymore?" he whispered and slowly curled into a ball, his eyes shining with tears. Gramps didn't want him, and now Zoro didn't either. He must have been really bad. Really, _really_ bad. Nami sighed deeply.

"I think… Zoro's just dealing with someone else living here. That's all. He'll get over it, he'll have to. It's amazing he's gone this long though without breaking something or running away. Wouldn't you think? Remember what happened when he first met you." she said and smirked. Sanji rolled his eyes and brushed his hair away from his eyes again, snorting faintly.

"I had that black eye for two weeks! How could I forget?" he replied, leaning over and tapping his cigarette into an ash tray on the bench behind him. But still, he'd kinda deserved it. After all, as he'd learnt over the past months, approaching Zoro and trying to _make_ him do something when panicking wasn't the _best_ idea. Nami sighed. Luffy had since left his spot by the stairs and crept back into his room, crawled under the bed, and was curled up way at the back, in the shadows, where no one would see him. And if no one saw him, then maybe he'd do what Gramps had told him to do so often.

Curl up and die.

"Sanji, I think Zoro needs Luffy." Nami said quietly. Sanji turned to her and narrowed his eyes.

"But-" 

"Zoro always acts like that though. But did you see the way he looked for Luffy without any regard for what was around him? What he was facing? His own safety? He was _trying _to find Luffy! He was trying to help!"

Sanji snorted softly at this and got to his feet, moving to the electric jug and flicking the switch so it would boil and he could make both of them a cup of coffee. He turned to Nami and shrugged.

"I hope you know what you're doing Nami-san… and I hope this doesn't destroy both of them at the same time."

"It won't. Be thankful Luffy hasn't punched you yet though." and she chuckled a little slyly, "He's just an attention seeker, and that's because from what I can tell, he's never had any affection in his life."

"_Zoro_ doesn't want the affection. Never did."

"Ah, Zoro's an attention seeker, he just won't admit it. He wants good attention though, and he hides about it. You can't blame him. Luffy's always been pushed to the back, put in the shadows and left there, aside from his Gramps making him do what he wanted, whereas Zoro's always been on show. He's always been the centre of attention, just… bad attention. It's natural. I think… I think Luffy'll be fine here… once he settles down a little. We'll just have to teach him everything all over again." and she shrugged. Sanji snorted.

"More like for the first time. I'm surprised the kid's potty trained!" and he sniggered, the tense moment had passed, "Okay then. We'll let them calm down today, and see how things are tomorrow." and he smiled. Nami sighed deeply, happy she'd won the argument, not that there had ever been any doubt. Sanji would always give in if she pushed the right buttons. It was a natural talent she had of convincing people to do what it was that she wanted. But then… it could have just been the fact that Sanji was a goof, and a gentleman. He really couldn't deny her very much at all.

---

Sanji passed an hour or so watching tv with Nami, and then he hurried into the kitchen to make dinner for that night. Nami was left to sleep on the couch, where Sanji had left her. The day had been too much for her, and Sanji was feeling the same want to go to sleep as well, but, he had a duty to make the food in this house, and so he did. Upstairs, Luffy was curled under his bed, having fallen asleep as he usually did when he had nothing to do.

He was hidden at the back of the bed, hopefully completely hidden by the shadows so he wouldn't have to see anyone, or hear anyone. Having just finished cooking dinner, Sanji jogged up the stairs, first going to Zoro's room where he could see a green socked foot through a small crack in the door way. He peered in to make sure that Zoro wasn't asleep, and he wasn't. The cook had been hoping he would be for a minute there. Zoro hardly ever slept, and then he would fall asleep on the couch and jerk awake minutes later. Backing out slowly, he knocked on the door, hearing a slight grunt from within.

"Sanji?" Zoro asked in his quiet tone. Sanji poked his head back in again to see Zoro looking back at him and rubbing at his eyes tiredly.

"Yeah, it's me. Come on down, dinner's ready." he said and then walked away. Zoro flopped back down onto the bed and yawned widely. He'd at least gotten an hour or so of sleep before a nightmare had woken him up. Pausing at Luffy's room, Sanji knocked on the closed door, and then rolled his eyes when no one replied. He opened it and paused upon seeing no one on the bed.

"Luffy…?" he asked. There was no response, "Luffy?" and he began looking around.

Zoro yawned as he moved out of his room, still rubbing at his eyes and trying to rid them of sleep. Pausing beside Luffy's room, he looked in to see Sanji searching the cupboards. Blinked blearily, he glanced around and then spotted a foot sticking out from under the bed. With a grunt, he alerted Sanji to his presence and then pointed towards the bed.

"He's under there." he commented and then moved on downstairs.

Zoro wasn't going to stick around and get the 'sympathy' sigh that Sanji always did whenever he had an attack. He didn't need sympathy, least of all from Sanji. He didn't hate the other teen, far from it, but for someone who was so... strong, to give him a look of sympathy. It made him feel annoyed, angry even. Sanji sighed as he spotted the foot and crouched down, resting his elbows on his knees and looking under the bed.

"Oi, Luffy? Dinner's ready…" he said. There was a small sigh as Luffy blinked awake and then pulled his foot in, curling around the junk under the bed.

"M'not hungry thank you, Sanji-san. Just tired." a soft voice replied.

"Sanji-san?" the cook echoed. Damn. Luffy thought he was still in trouble. He was doing exactly as Zoro did.

Whenever the green haired teen had done something he considered wrong or had an attack, he would feel very skittish around them for a few days and treat them with respect until finally Nami or Sanji had had enough and told him to stop. From the looks of it, Luffy had that in common with his older friend.

"You're not in trouble kid…" Sanji mumbled.

"…'kay." Luffy answered after a few seconds, obviously not believing what he had just been told, but falling back into his obedient mode and answering with what he knew the cook wanted to hear. After a little more nagging, Sanji finally sighed.

"Okay kid. Your food's downstairs when you want it." he said and stood, walking out again.

Nami, who was already sitting at the table, looked up as Zoro entered the room.

"You slept a long time." She commented softly with a smile.

Zoro blinked at her and then averted his eyes, taking his place and folding his hands in his lap. He was still ashamed of what he had done that day. Waiting patiently for Sanji and Luffy to come back, Zoro went back to what he had been thinking about on in his room. If he looked back, it was his fault Luffy had run off really. Nami had warned Luffy that if he left Zoro's side, then he would get lost. And as Zoro had seen it, he'd left Luffy's side and therefore Luffy had gotten lost, so it was his fault. At least, that's the way Zoro's mind twisted it around to make him feel guilty, as it tended to do most times.

Zoro glanced up as Sanji walked in and he turned his eyes quickly back to his plate. He was especially ashamed that it had to be Sanji who calmed him down. It had always been, but, it didn't make him feel any better about the whole situation. Once again, his thoughts turned to the fact that Sanji was strong... and he was not.

"How's spaghetti sound Zoro?" Sanji asked as he sat down on the other side of the table at his own plate.

Zoro didn't reply, just continued staring at the table. Heaving a soft sigh, Sanji started to eat. Nami glanced between them, before bending over her own plate again. Silence ran around the table like heatless fire, making everyone uncomfortable.

"…M'sorry…" Zoro mumbled after a while. Sanji looked up and smiled.

"Not your fault Marimo. It happens." he replied, "Now eat up, or I'll kick your ass!" and he smirked to show he was kidding. Nami looked up and smiled a little. But Zoro didn't respond, and instead took to rubbing his other arm a little nervously.

"Is… Luffy coming down?" he asked a little hopefully, glancing at the kitchen door.

"I don't think so." Sanji replied, smiling sadly, "He's… tired." Zoro bowed his head for a moment before frowning and standing up, picking up his own plate and then picking up Luffy's at the same time. Nami looked up at him.

"Hey… where are you going?" she asked. Zoro looked back at her from the kitchen doorway.

"I wanna go up and give him his food." and he shrugged, "It's my fault he's like he is right now." and he hurried out, not waiting for a response. Nami glanced at Sanji a little apprehensively.

"It's ok. They'll be fine." he reassured her with a smile, "This is a good step for Zoro, ne? He's taking responsibility." Nami blinked at him before nodding and smiling in agreement. She just prayed Zoro didn't blame _all _of what had happened on himself. He already seemed to have enough guilt weighing on his mind.

"I just hope Luffy doesn't go on about his grandfather anymore." she muttered with a short roll of her eyes.

"I can't tell whether that was genuine, or if he was just saying it because he was afraid." Sanji said thoughtfully. Nami hummed as well before returning to her food.

Zoro walked into Luffy's room and looked around for a moment before sighing.

"Hey Luffy?" he asked quietly. Luffy was curled up asleep under the bed, and right at the back. He was genuinely tired after the day's events, and he just wanted to sleep. Sitting down, Zoro placed the food on the floor and looked underneath the bed.

"Whoa… I think Sanji needs to clean out under here…" he commented, making a short joke and blinking at the dust and random things that had been thrown under there. He blinked at one pale hand that was protruding out from behind a giant plush that Nami had bought him as a joke a couple of months ago and he had given it to Luffy, but of course the kid hadn't thought it really _was _for him, and had placed it under here for safe keeping. Luffy was relaxed, snoring faintly and Zoro sighed, leaving the plate there and standing again, hoping that nothing other than Luffy would come along and eat it. Pausing at the doorway, the green haired teen decided that he didn't want to go back downstairs and instead headed for his room again, sitting down beside the bed in there to eat his meal so he wouldn't get any mess on the green covers.

Downstairs, Sanji and Nami were eating in silence, slow and thoughtful, trying to catch any glimpse of conversation from upstairs.

"It's quiet." Nami said softly. Sanji looked at her.

"You wanna go up and check?" he asked, standing up and sounding almost like he had been waiting for the opportunity to go up there. Nami swallowed the last bite of her food and smirked.

"Right. Let's go." and they hurried out of the kitchen and jogged up the stairs. Pausing at Luffy's room and Sanji looked in to see the boys plate sitting on the floor, not a bite taken from it. He turned back to Nami and sighed.

"Who do you wanna deal with? Zoro or Luffy?" he asked. Nami thought for a moment.

"You had Zoro today. I'll take him." and she moved off towards the older teen's room. Sanji nodded and moved into Luffy's room, spotting the hand under the bed. He sat down on the floor and slid some of the junk under the bed to the side until he had a good view of his 'prey' before gripping the hand, gently pulling and dragging Luffy out and onto his lap.

"Hey Luffy. Come on, wake up." Sanji said, shaking him. Luffy just cuddled into Sanji's warmth and stayed asleep. Rolling his eyes and sighing, Sanji wondered how he'd ever been dragged into all of this.

Nami peered in Zoro's door and leaned against the doorframe as she saw Zoro sitting on the floor and eating slowly. He seemed to be in deep thought about something and every now and again he would stop eating completely and stare at his plate. When they'd first begun looking after Zoro, they'd been rather shocked to find that he always sat, or slept on the floor. So, Luffy sitting on the floor hadn't been that shocking really, but still, his _own _grandfather making him do that?

_Please don't tell me he's gone backwards… _Nami thought.

"Hey Zoro." She said with a smile. Zoro looked up at her, his eyes wide and big before he gulped and waited for her to continue with whatever it was she wanted to say. Maybe he was in trouble…

"You okay?" she asked and Zoro nodded.

"Why?"

"Well, Luffy's plate was sitting on the floor, and you're in here." and Zoro bowed his head, shrugging a little miserably.

"I just… wanted to talk to him but he was asleep, and I didn't want to go back downstairs so I came in here." he muttered as an explanation. He wasn't going to be short with Nami. He'd tried that while explaining about Alvida and it hadn't been incredibly effective. Especially seeing as Nami had glared at him for it. Nami sighed and moved into the room, sitting on the bed and resting her arms on her knees.

"You know, what happened today wasn't your fault." she said, reaching out a hand and brushing it through his hair. Zoro flinched away from her touch a little and Nami paused before withdrawing the hand. It hurt a little that Zoro didn't want her to touch him. Once again, he didn't want the sympathy that she was offering him.

"I know." he replied in a voice that clearly told her that he had no clue, and that he believed that it was still his fault. Nami shook her head, annoyed that Zoro ALWAYS managed to blame himself for a situation that he had no control over.

"Zoro, you can't help what happens to you. You just-" 

"I **should **be able to." he said determinedly. Nami shook her head, a light frown creasing her features.

"Give yourself time Zoro." and he looked up at her, his eyes tired.

"I've had time, Nami." and he shook his head and let his fork drop back to his plate with a clatter. He flinched, grabbed it and bowed his head respectfully and apologetically and Nami sighed and bowed her own head. Zoro was so damn stubborn.

"Zoro… you were there for eighteen years. Eighteen… not eight. It's not going to all go away in a month." she reminded him firmly before standing, "Just, let yourself recover and stop blaming yourself for things _Alvida _did."

Zoro flinched wildly at the name, but didn't say anything, still bowing his head.

"…Luffy…he was with 'Gramps' for 16 years and…he's….he's not as bad as me…he can touch you and hug you…and-"

"Luffy isn't you, Zoro." Nami protested, cutting his explanation short and half wondering if maybe Sanji had been right. Was Luffy making Zoro revert back to how he had been before? "He's suffered some things you have and he's gone through some of the same things as you, but, unlike you, he doesn't know, Zoro."

"But-"

"No. Luffy has lived inside for the majority of his life, Zoro. He's spent his days with nobody but 'Gramps' and that bastard didn't give him any clue that what he was doing was wrong. You lived in a home with other children, Zoro. You were allowed to move around outside, even if it was just for a few minutes in a playground, but you saw happy children go by with their parents so you knew and you _understood._"

"I guess…" Zoro muttered, "But Luffy still had beatings…I saw myself…"

"Luffy was in horrible shape, but at least he wasn't like you when we first picked you up. You looked like you were ready to drop dead where you stood!"

Zoro just sighed and Nami frowned lightly.

"Just…don't blame yourself okay?" she tried one last time, "Nobody could have predicted what happened today."

Zoro nodded and Nami let out a quiet sigh before turning and leaving the room. Slowly she turned and moved into Luffy's room to find Sanji sitting on the floor with Luffy on his lap, fast asleep. She leaned against the doorframe and shook her head.

"What are we going to do, Sanji?" she asked softly. Sanji shook his head and shrugged, having vaguely heard the conversation between her and Zoro.

"I don't know, Nami-san…" and he looked down at Luffy, resting a hand on the sleeping boys head, "I don't know."

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**Clarobell: -stares at chapter- don't forget to review now… remember, chainsaw or no update if you don't –glares- also, when the update does come, it will most likely be on Sunday, not Saturday, and from then it will be back to normal, okay guys?**

Plushie: What she said! -runs in circles- 


	12. All out war

**Clarobell: Well, here we are again! Thanks to all who have reviewed the last chapters and I'm sorry that we haven't got review responses out, but we're struggling as it is to simply get these chapters up! We'll get them back on track this week ok? So once again, feel free to ask any questions and enjoy the chapter!**

**Plushie: This chappie ish one of my particular favourites. X3 hope you enjoy!**

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--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 12: All out war**_

Another day passed and things calmed, Nami and Sanji were in the kitchen. Nami had gone in for a coffee, and Sanji had volunteered to make her one and she wasn't going to deny him that chance. It meant Sanji got to do something for her, and she didn't have to do it. Everyone was happy! Luffy had been moved to the lounge room, as Nami and Sanji had wanted to keep an eye on him to make sure he didn't think he was being punished at all. Now, while Sanji was making said coffee, she was staring out the window. It had been cloudy and dim since this morning, but Nami's eyes widened slightly when a small, almost invisible white speck floated in front of the window.

Soon, there were two or more floating past before there were many, many more, speckling the outside world and quickly covering the grass and ground in a soft, white carpet. A smile spread across her face and she turned to look at Sanji, who blinked back in confusion from his place by the stove.

"It's snowing…" she explained before hurrying out of the room. Sanji let a smile slide across his face too as he heard Nami running up the stairs. She stopped by Zoro's door and poked her head in again.

"Hey, Zoro!" she called. Zoro's eyes snapped instantly open and he twisted around, his eyes a little wide before he saw it was Nami and relaxed. Once he had relaxed, the tiredness returned and he rubbed at his eyes. He was so tired, and for once he had been sleeping moderately soundly without annoying nightmares. Bad dreams still lingered, but, they weren't as violent as usual today. He didn't know why, but he was grateful for the sleep.

"Ne, Nami… what's wrong?" he yawned before blinking at her blearily. He was so tempted to just lie back down and go to sleep, but Nami had other plans. Her grin widened impossibly.

"Zoro, come downstairs and we'll wake Luffy up. There's something I want you two to see." and she waved her hand at him, trying to make him hurry up. Zoro sat up and blinked at her in confusion before slowly climbing out of bed, heading down the stairs and into the lounge room where Nami was softly shaking Luffy, trying to wake him and failing miserably.

"Hey, food!" he called and Luffy's eyes instantly opened. Zoro wondered if eventually, Luffy would become immune to that as well. They were using it to wake him up all the time now. Oh well… at least it would work until Luffy realised.

"Naa?" Luffy noised as he blinked at Zoro, "Breakfast?" Zoro sighed as he shook his head slightly. Actually… Luffy hadn't eaten this morning. Maybe it was breakfast..? So Zoro turned to Nami to see if it was indeed that.

"Nope - something better! Come on!" she laughed. Zoro watched her for a moment before standing and following.

"Better than breakfast?" Luffy asked and then quickly woke himself up and hopped off of the sofa, trotting after Nami as he grabbed Zoro's hand loosely.

"It's gotta be good, ne Zoro?" he asked as he looked up at his friend. Zoro had instantly tensed at Luffy's touch though and in a swift motion, he jerked his hand out of Luffy's and stuck it in his pocket before offering the boy a nervous grin.

"Aa… very good…" he replied.

Nami was listening to their conversation as she waited for them, glad that the two were acting normal after yesterday, though a little worried that Luffy would take Zoro jerking away as a sign he was mad. Luffy blinked at Zoro for a moment, which made the older teen just a little embarrassed before he turned his face slightly away. Smiling, Luffy ran ahead, ignoring the fact that Zoro had just jerked away from him again much to Nami's relief. Zoro stopped in place for a moment, his face falling into a soft, but sad frown as he pulled his hand out and glared at it for a minute before moving out the door of the room after Luffy. As they entered the kitchen, Luffy looked around curiously.

"What is it, Nami?" he asked, pausing a moment to peer under the table as if it was under there. Whatever this great thing was, it was well hidden. Nami laughed at his antics before pointing at the kitchen window. 

"It's snowing…" she said and grinned widely. Luffy looked out the window and blinked for a moment before his eyes lit up and his grin stretched nearly off of his face. He began bouncing on the balls of his feet while his arms pumped in the air on either side of him.

"Can I go out? Can I? Can I? Even if it's just to the shops? I've never been out in snow!" he chirped, before running over to the window and peeking out, awe and wonder all over his face. He'd never been out in snow before. He'd always wanted to, and even attempted to ask Gramps if he could… but he'd been denied. Instead, Gramps had locked him in with the kitties, and left him there. Luffy had never, ever been allowed to go out and see the snow, because it was something he wanted. And what he wanted, Gramps was extraordinarily happy to deny him. Nami smiled at his excitement.

"Not just yet. We'll have to wait a little while so it can build up. And then…" and her smile turned to a grin as Luffy turned to her, "We'll make a snowman!" and she expected Luffy to grin at her and cheer. But instead… he just looked confused.

"What's a snowman?" he inquired.

Nami paused and then looked up as Zoro finally wondered in, his head slightly bowed before he spotted the snow and blinked. He hurried (though he tried to look as though he didn't) over to the window and peered out at the rapidly gathering snow on the grass outside. He'd always loved watching the snow, and he'd been out in it only once and that was last year, a month or so after he'd come to live with Nami and Sanji.

It'd been the end of the snow season but, so, it hadn't gathered on the grass like it was now and had melted basically straight away. But, while at the orphanage, all the children had gathered around one window, chirping quietly at how beautiful it was while he stood alone at another window and stared out… silently agreeing. Luffy turned to Zoro, hoping his friend could answer his question after Sanji had just smiled at him. Not answering his question, just smiling. Sanji did that a lot.

"Zoro, what's a snowman?" he asked and Zoro blinked as he turned to Luffy. For a moment he thought and then just shrugged. He had no idea. He assumed it was a man made of snow… but how would they do that? Nami chuckled lightly at this.

"How 'bout you wait, and then we'll see, ne?" she asked, glancing between both of them.

Luffy's face fell along with Zoro's, before the younger boy brightened again and he nodded eagerly. Zoro wasn't so sure though. Alvida had said that when she'd asked him what he was looking at, and he'd pointed and asked if he could go out in it. He was never allowed… Luffy only waited a few seconds before he turned back to Nami again.

"Is it ready yet?" and he bounced slightly, biting his bottom lip. Zoro snorted softly before turning away from the window, sticking his hands in his pockets and sitting down at the table. If he had to wait… then he would wait. Nami chuckled at Luffy and shook her head.

"No, Luffy. Not yet. Soon." she replied.

Luffy stayed at the window all morning, accepting a hot cup of soup from Sanji and when no one was looking, drank the whole thing down even though it was scalding his throat. He made no comment about the pain though and quickly placed the cup back on the sink. Sanji offered him more but Luffy shook his head wildly, declining and saying he was full. Then, he turned back to the window and watched as the grass outside, and the houses and road, all turned a powdery, glittering white. It was so pretty!

Zoro was glancing out the window on occasion, but he kept mostly to himself, drinking his soup slowly and occasionally twitching. Nami could tell he was dying to go out in the snow, but would never ask. She wanted both of them to wait though, because it would all pay off in the end. As the day wore on, Luffy's face continued to drift forward until finally it was smooshed against the window. Zoro's twitches intensified, but still he didn't say anything.

Sanji was at his bench, getting all the ingredients ready for when they came back in. That way, it wouldn't take long for him to make it while everyone was shivering at the table. At least, that's the way he saw it. Luffy's breath kept fogging the glass every few seconds and he was continuously wiping at it, frowning, whining, wiping and then repeating. It was the cause of Sanji's continuing snorts at his bench as he set everything up. Moving back into the room, Nami laid four coats down on the table and smiled as Luffy swung around to her.

"Now, Nami?" Luffy almost pleaded.

Nami smiled as she held out a green coat for Zoro, and the smallest squishy coat for Luffy that she could find. It was by pure luck, and accident that it was red. Nami had discovered even before Luffy had told them that red was his favourite colour. He tended to eye red things. There was an orange one for Nami, and a blue one for Sanji.

"Yep!" she replied once Zoro had gotten up and taken his coat and was putting it on. Luffy leapt away from the window.

"YAHOO!" he cried, causing Zoro to jump and Nami and Sanji to laugh. Zoro eyed Luffy as the boy performed some sort of weird dance before running over and a smile spread across his face as well. Maybe not one as wide as Luffy's was, but, it was pretty big. Sanji looked up as he wiped his hands on a towel and then hung it up again.

"We ready?" he asked, as he moved over and picked up his own jacket. He slipped it on and did it up, slipping his hands into the pocket and heading for the door. Zoro followed after him, trying not to look excited but ultimately failing while Luffy bounced after them. Nami was last into the hall and she frowned a little as Luffy was about to run outside without a coat.

"Luffy, put this on first." she said, holding the jacket out. Luffy made no move to take it though, and just looked back at her in confusion.

"Why?" he asked. Zoro snorted softly and grinned a little cheekily.

"You'll turn into a Luffyicle." he said and snorted again. Luffy's eyes went dinner plate wide.

"I WILL!? WHAT'S THAT!? IS IT TASTY!?" he screeched, waving his arms around and making Zoro lean away from him and take a step back, a grimace on his face. Sanji laughed as he slipped the coat on quickly while Luffy's arms were stretched out. He quickly did it up and then stepped back beside Nami and smirked.

"Uh… Not if you put the jacket on. It's you being frozen. And no… I don't think it's tasty…" Zoro replied, answering all of the boy's questions in one go after thinking for a moment.

Luffy's eyes fell out of their wideness and he blinked for a minute before looking down at the jacket and flapping his arms a little, giggling at the shuffling noise it made. He pulled it a little bit and then snuggled into it before turning towards the door.

"Let's gooo!" he cheered and made a beeline for the door, barely pausing to slip on his sandals (despite the fact that his toes would get cold). Zoro reached it before him, being closer, and opened it. Nami sighed as she slipped back to walk beside Sanji and smiled as Luffy charged out the door, nearly knocking Zoro over. Letting out a loud gasp of awe, the boy began cautiously walking around on the snow, giggling when he sank into it with a crunch and then yelping and pulling his foot out, shaking it like a cat that had touched water.

Zoro looked down at the snow and blinked at it for a moment before cautiously walking out. He made his way across it slowly, and was successful for a few metres before suddenly his foot sunk into the snow and he flailed wildly before falling face first into it. Luffy heard the soft thump and turned before laughing loudly and pointing at Zoro, one hand on his stomach as he doubled over under a small tree. Nami snorted softly and shook her head, putting a finger on her forehead while Sanji laughed beside her.

Zoro's head rose, the white mixing with the green and making him look like a bizarre form of plant. His eyes were drooped and his expression was annoyed before he scrabbled around and pulled his foot out, frowning at Sanji and scooping up a handful of snow. In a swift move, he had thrown it and hit the blonde directly in the face. This time, Nami laughed and pointed at Sanji, as the chef slowly wiped a hand over his face. Zoro grinned slightly evilly when he saw Sanji wasn't mad at him. Instead, the blonde grinned slightly devilishly.

Luffy was laughing even louder now, pointing between Sanji and Zoro before a load of snow on the tree above him shifted, and fell, landing right on top of him and burying him from head to toe, (which really wasn't saying much as Luffy wasn't that high to begin with.) Everyone who wasn't buried beneath the snow, laughed at the boy as one hand poked out and began waving frantically around.

Zoro had a hand over his mouth and was laughing silently at Luffy before he was hit on the side of the head by a snowball and he turned blinking to see Sanji wave a hand jauntily at him, grinning as he laughed. Zoro frowned slightly before grabbing another handful and throwing it. Silence reigned as Zoro missed Sanji and hit Nami instead. Sanji blinked at his girlfriend while Zoro looked a little worried as Nami slowly wiped the snow from her face, revealing narrowed eyes and a slight frown.

The blonde turned and was just about to tell Zoro not to hit Nami, when she smirked widely and bent down, gathering up a very LARGE handful of snow and hefting it as Luffy's head finally popped up out of the snow and he sneezed, shaking his head and then laughing. He jumped out of the snow completely and ran back a way before turning and running forwards again, diving into the snow and burrowing around like some sort of human sized Bugs Bunny.

As Nami hefted her snow, Sanji ducked and she threw it straight at Zoro who didn't have a chance. Nami's aim was perfect and she would never miss. Zoro let the snow hit him and blinked for a minute through it while Nami flicked her hair back, crossed her arms and gave a rather satisfied 'hmph'. Zoro cried out while Sanji laughed at him, and he wiped the snow frantically from his face. It was cold! And it was… burning? Whatever.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zoro spotted Luffy and with a grin, he turned and raced after the boy. As Zoro attempted to dig his way through the snow, Nami grinned evilly and leaned up to Sanji, whispering in his ear. The blonde's face went from laughter to a wicked grin in an instant before he quickly gathered some snowballs together. Nami began making some beside him and once they had enough for a while, Sanji began throwing them in the air and kicking them.

The first one hit Zoro in the buttand he yelped, his eyes wide before he turned and saw Sanji snickering as he threw another one in the air and kicked it. Luffy was still buried under the snow, burrowing around and having a rather delightful time. Nami chuckled lightly and winked, waving a hand jauntily at Zoro while the other one was on her hip. Zoro blinked in confusion for a moment before another snowball hit him and he shook it off. After that, he got the gist of the game and threw one back (which missed by a long shot) as he dived behind the snow that had come down on Luffy.

"Luffy… hey, hey!" Zoro called, ducking as a snowball flew overhead. He needed Luffy's help here, because two against one was just unfair. Luffy's head popped up and he blinked for a minute before he was hit in the side of the head by a snowball.

"Eh??" he noised, looking around before he dived down beside Zoro and blinked as the older teen grinned at him and grabbed some snow, rolled it and then popped his head over the top of the hill, throwing it again.

"Here, do this." he instructed as he grabbed another handful of snow, rolled it and then smiled as he showed it to Luffy, "Throw it at Nami or Sanji." and he popped his head over the top and threw it, growling slightly when Sanji just kicked it out of existence and laughed. Luffy laughed as well, reaching down and copying Zoro as he grinned like a maniac. Zoro moved to the side a little bit to give Luffy throwing room, and then was hit in the side of the head by a snowball easily.

Frantically digging a finger in his ear to get the snow out, he hunched forward to protect his head as he made a heap of snowballs before smirking. This would do it. Beside him, Luffy was laughing like a loony as he didn't even bother to roll up the snow and just grabbed handfuls and squished it before throwing it. Zoro frowned slightly as he saw Sanji just kicking the snowballs out of existence, occasionally deflecting them. He began joining in again, throwing a little harder and faster and a bit more accurate.

He felt something in him… like he wanted to win. He wanted to beat Sanji at something for once. He'd never felt that before... This thought caused him to begin throwing even faster and even harder. Sanji just laughed, easily kicking them out of existence and deflecting them before they got close to him or Nami. Luffy decided it was time for a different hiding place as Zoro was throwing wildly, and their pile of snow was dwindling quickly. Spotting a nice, large pile across the road, he ran for it. A horn beep made Zoro, Sanji and Nami pause in their fight and they turned in time to see a car skid on the icy road and smack into Luffy, knocking him over. As he was hit, Luffy let out a grunt and a yelp before falling sideways, and laying still on the road.

"LUFFY!" all three yelled as their eyes went dinner plate wide.

Silence reigned as Luffy lay on the road, still, and the man in the car looked over his steering wheel and slightly shaking hands. Zoro's breathing began to increase as he turned on all fours and stared at Luffy's inert form. Finally, almost in slow motion, Luffy began to sit up again, groaning slightly as he got to his feet and shook his head, reaching down and grabbing his hat before pressing it to his head. Turning, he glared at the car and then kicked the bumper.

"Stupid bastard!!!" he yelled, snorting heavy and angry breaths through his nose and making small white puffs rise in the air around him. Zoro felt such a sense of relief that he let out a very loud sigh and put a hand to his frantically beating heart. He'd almost lost Luffy then. Looking up, he noticed the man in the car was getting rather agro as Luffy continued to rant and rave, waving his arms around and yelling 'stupid bastard' over and over again. Quickly hurrying onto the road, Zoro got behind Luffy, his head bowed as he quickly ushered Luffy away. Nami and Sanji ran over as the car began to drive away.

"Sorry!" Nami called, waving a hand at the man and then scowling at him before turning back to Luffy again. The boy's expression was a mix of a pout and a scowl as he huffed in an upset fashion.

"Stupid jerk!" Luffy spat, waving a fist after him as Zoro shook his head, crossing his arms and wondering how on Earth Luffy could not be bleeding, or bruised. Well… he didn't think Luffy was bruised anyway. Sanji looked Luffy over before sighing.

"Do you hurt anywhere?" he asked, hands on his hips. Luffy turned and blinked up at him.

"No." he responded quickly, his trained response kicking in and making an expressionless mask fall seamlessly into place. Zoro raised an eyebrow as Sanji sighed again. During their short time together so far, Zoro had learnt how to tell when Luffy was lying.

"Do you?" he asked, frowning slightly. Luffy blinked, that mask still there though he didn't know it.

"Huh? Do I what?" This answer caused Zoro's eyes to narrow as he leaned down closer to Luffy's face and looked into the boy's eyes, almost searching them as he adopted one of Nami's 'don't lie to me' looks.

"Hurt… do you hurt?" he asked sternly.

"Hurt. Hmm… My side I think." he replied practically instantly. Zoro leaned away, letting a smile slide across his face. Sanji looked between them for a moment before sighing.

"Come on, let's head in. I'll make us some cocoa and then we'll check you out…" he said, turning and heading back towards the house. Nami followed, thinking on possibilities of how Luffy could get hurt, and feeling a little proud of Zoro for getting Luffy to tell the truth. Zoro yawned slightly as he followed, hiding it with a hand before smirking a little blearily at Luffy.

"Tell the truth… always…" he said quietly with a small smile.

Luffy blinked up at him as they walked inside, Sanji leading the way, taking his shoes and coat off before heading for the kitchen while Nami closed the door behind them. Limping slightly as he entered, Luffy pulled off his sandals and then his coat, getting it stuck as he tried to pull it over his head before Nami came to his rescue and pulled it off, smirking a little at him. Zoro, who had taken his shoes and coat off, followed as Nami led Luffy into the lounge room and then towards the bathroom.

"Come on, Luffy. We'll take you into the bathroom and check you out." she said and Luffy nodded, following without complaint as he yawned tiredly. He still wasn't used to staying awake all day like this. They moved into the bathroom, and Nami gently tugged Luffy to sit down on the closed toilet lid.

"It didn't hit him too hard, so it shouldn't have left much of a mark…" Zoro said, almost asking as he crossed his arms and looked concerned while Nami retrieved the first aid kit from the cupboard. They had these littered all over the house, and had done so since Zoro had come to live with them, because you never knew when someone was going to get hurt. Especially with a panicking Zoro around. Nami shook her head as she walked back.

"It could have left a big mark actually, because what we saw seemed slow, but it still woulda hit him pretty hard, Zoro." she replied as she placed the kit on a bench and crouched down beside the boy. Luffy wasn't listening as his eyes continued trying to close tiredly.

"Nami, can I take a nap?" he asked, yawning slightly at the same time. Nami shook her head as she tugged his shirt and jumper up, frowning at the lacerations, and scars and bruises that littered the boy's skin, and the way his ribs stuck out just that little bit too far.

"Not yet, Luffy. Just a bit longer, ok?" she replied, pushing the shirt up further while Luffy lifted an arm tiredly so she could get at him. Zoro blinked at the concerned look that flew over Nami's face.

"Is he ok?" he asked. Nami didn't reply straight away. A large, red and purple mottled spot, covered Luffy's side from just above the waistband of his pants, to nearly his armpit and when she inspected the other side, it was to see some very large grazes running in a similar direction to the bruise. Grimacing, she went back to the first aid kit.

"A nasty bruise, but, he'll be alright. Might need a bandage." she said as she dug around in the kit.

Luffy yawned again as he looked down at the quickly forming bruise. It wasn't anything new, and he didn't know why Nami was so worried about it. He couldn't even feel it, unless something touched it… then it hurt but, as long as nothing touched it, he didn't even care! Applying some first aid cream to the grazes, she bandaged him easily and quickly. Nami tugged his shirt back down again and sighed as she stood. Humming in thought, she leaned down and unwrapped the bandages around his face, smiling as she saw the cuts on his face were healing nicely.

"I don't think there's really any need to rewrap these now." she spoke softly.

Luffy hummed and offered a small smile, too tired to grin.

"Okay, now, you have to stay awake for a while, ne Luffy? You might have a concussion… err… If you sleep, you could die." she said. Luffy's eyes went impossibly wide and Zoro sighed.

"If I sleep I'LL DIE!?!?" he yelped, looking at Nami with wide eyes before turning to Zoro, who let out another sigh.

"Bad explanation…" he muttered to Nami, who jerked, realising the panic she'd caused.

"Uh, only for the next hour! Just the next hour, after that, you'll be fine to sleep. Ok?" she explained and let out a sigh when Luffy relaxed visibly.

"Oh…" he noised, his eyes drooping almost to the point where they were closed as he yawned, and then shaking his head, he opened them again, "Okay then…" Zoro glanced at Nami, who smiled softly and a little fondly at the boy before her. Luffy was so cute…

"Come on, Sanji's sure to have the drinks ready by now." she said, moving from the bathroom.

Zoro waited for Luffy to move after her, before exiting himself, not wanting to look like he wanted the hot chocolate that Sanji was delivering to the lounge room. Even though he did… he just didn't want to admit it. Nami took hers with a gracious smile at Sanji, who grinned widely and happily. She sat down on the couch and sighed as she took a sip while Zoro took his and moved to his usual one seater near to the door. Handing Luffy his, Sanji took his own mug and settled himself beside Nami. Luffy was the only one left standing, and he tilted his head as he peered at the fluffy, white stuff floating on the top of his mug. Chuckling, Sanji smiled.

"That's whipped cream. It's sweet, try it…" and he watched as Luffy blinked at the whipped cream before sniffing at it and coughing as it went up his nose. Giggling at the weird feeling, he shook his head and took a sip. Nami smiled while Zoro snorted, shaking his head. It was cute watching Luffy with new things. Humming in delight, Luffy smiled widely. This hot chocolate thing kept getting better and better!! Sanji grinned, almost as widely at Luffy. He loved the way the kid was so honest with his reactions to things, and didn't hide anything like Zoro did.

And he also loved the fact that Luffy liked his cooking, and that just made him so proud to call himself a chef. He knew Nami adored his cooking, and he knew Zoro did too… but it made him a little upset when they didn't have open reactions like Luffy did to the taste, the smell… It made it nice to have someone who liked his food (or in this case drinks,) that much. It… really was nice having Luffy around and Sanji was a little angry at himself now, for trying to get rid of him.

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	13. Sometimes sleep is bad

**Clarobell: Okay guys, being honest, we weren't too happy with the review response to the last chapter. I know that quite a few of you are reading this and I want to thank those of you who reviewed so much. Your review replies will be going out tomorrow. Unlike most authors out there who don't carry through with their warning, both myself and Plushie do. We could both do with a little leeway on getting these chapters done, so missing posting one for a week doesn't bother us. The only thing we mind is having to 'punish' those who faithfully review. I guess the decision will be made based on the feedback we get for this chapter, and please don't bother giving feedback for this authors note, as reviews are meant for the fic. All we want is to know how we're doing as writers. Both of us want to become novelists, but we're far from perfect. We need you to tell us what you like and what you don't. Thanks for reading.**

**Plushie: What she said. I'm not feeling very well, so I'll make this short, but... there's a little button at the bottom of this screen. It says 'Go' beside 'Submit review'. Yeah, I know you see it. Ignore it, and you get no chappie next week. This is no bluff. **

**Clarobell: And I'm not well either –grumpy frown- Do as she says. She has a chapter, and she's not afraid to withhold it!**

**Plushie: ooh, that's a threat and a half. I can just see em cowering in their bunny slippers now! **

**Clarobell: SHADDAP!! –slaps with a fish–**

Plushie: See!? See people!! THIS is how I get treated! XP And no more posts, Claro. Three each is enough! 

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 13: Sometimes sleep is bad**_

The group drank their hot chocolate in silence for a while, before Luffy got sick of standing, and shifted himself to sit on the floor between Zoro's legs. The older teen blinked at him, not really fazed by this, but curious as to why Luffy liked it there so much. Wrapping an arm around Zoro's leg, Luffy rested his head against it, clutching his mug with the other hand. He loved this… being able to snuggle up to Zoro. It made him so happy. Snuggling with Nami was nice, but she wasn't good to lean against, because she got tired easy. And he hadn't snuggled with Sanji yet (he looked like he wouldn't be very comfortable anyway), but Zoro… he was just right.

He didn't get tired when Luffy leaned against him, and supported him almost like he wasn't even there. He was warm, and had just the right amount of snuggability. Nami smiled as she watched them, noticing how Zoro made no move to push Luffy away, and how Luffy was all too happy to be around Zoro. As long as he was near, or touching the older teen in some way, he seemed to be happy. She restrained herself from 'squeeing' at the mere sight of them.

_They'd make the perfect couple… _She silently thought, grinning widely. If they could get over their individual problems, then she actually felt pretty sure they would get together. But, she was going to keep that thought silent for now. Even from Sanji.

Zoro blinked down at the top of the straw hat in front of him, before glancing at the floor beside the couch and then turning his eyes back to Luffy's head again. Finishing his hot chocolate, Luffy placed the mug down on the floor and snuggled against the leg, curling his legs under him as he wrapped his other arm around Zoro's leg. His eyes slipped closed as he yawned softly, and in a matter of mere seconds, before he even knew what was happening, he was fast asleep. Placing his empty mug down on the floor as well, he blinked when he heard the deep breaths Luffy was taking, and jerked his knee slightly.

"Hey…Hey!" and he jerked his knee again, eyes going a little wide. Nami had said if Luffy slept, then he would die! He didn't want Luffy to die! Nami sighed.

"Oh damn…" she muttered, "I told him he couldn't sleep, but, I think he'll be okay…" and she placed her own empty mug down on the small coffee table in front of her.

"But… you said…" Zoro began, sounding infinitely like Luffy as he stared at Nami with wide eyes and looked very apprehensive. Smiling a little, Nami sighed again. She should have known that fact would stick in Zoro's head.

"It was a precaution, not a death sentence, Zoro… He should be fine. He's not dizzy, and it's not like he fainted or anything. And he didn't actually hit his head, just his side. I was just being careful." Nami explained, with a light shrug. Zoro blinked at her as Luffy snuggled some more against his leg, and then fell still, breathing deeply. Moving from his place on the couch, Sanji crouched in front of Luffy and looked him over quickly.

"He looks fine, moss- head. Calm down." Sanji said, looking up at him and smirking a little. Zoro blinked back at him, his eyes still wide as he relaxed slightly before he tensed up again.

"But… what if he's not okay?" and he gulped a little as he remembered something, "I remember at the orphanage once, I fell asleep for a long time and then I ended up in this freaky guy's room and had all these things hooked up to me and-" but he clamped his mouth shut as he realised he'd been saying something about his past. He'd been taught at the orphanage, not to tell anyone about the things that happened to him, no matter what they were. Good or bad. Sanji raised an eyebrow at the sudden outburst. Where had _that _come from?

"And? Come on, Zoro." and he sat down on the floor in front of Luffy, bending one knee to rest his arm on it, "You know you can talk about it with us." Nami leaned forward slightly, watching suspiciously. She hadn't heard this story before.

"Did… they do something to you?" she asked, almost not wanting to know the answer. Of course they had! He wouldn't have been in a medical office for no reason. Zoro looked down at the floor. He'd said too damn much! He didn't want to relive those memories… but they were flashing through his head anyway.

"And…" he began, his voice shaking slightly before he _forced _it to be steady, "There was a lot of blood… and something really, really stung my side…" He glanced down at his lap before averting his eyes to the armrest of the chair. There was a small thump, as Luffy's hands fell from around Zoro's leg, his body limp as he fell into that deep, almost coma like sleep. Nami narrowed her eyes, and was about to ask what it was, when Sanji gave her a look that clearly said 'I'll tell you later'. Nodding slightly, she subsided as Sanji reached up and roughly scruffed Zoro's hair.

"Okay Zoro, that's enough. You don't have to say any more if you don't want to…" Sanji said, watching with slightly concerned eyes. Zoro shook his head, bowing it more as he realised Sanji must have seen it. Suddenly, he felt overwhelmingly tired and he dropped back into the chair again, fast asleep before he even hit the headrest. His head lolled to one side and he was out of it completely while Nami rubbed a hand over her forehead.

"Damn it…" she sighed before looking to Sanji, "So, what was it?" and she waited while Sanji's eyes narrowed, looking to the floor in front of him with his lips formed a thin line.

"A brand… HER brand…" and he looked up to her as Nami's eyes widened, "She tattooed him…"

He'd seen it back during the first few months of Zoro being with them, when the Marimo hadn't known how to wash himself properly, or how to wash his hair. He wasn't surprised either, that Nami hadn't seen it because it was low on Zoro's hip, a little below the waist line.

A skull and crossbones, with the name 'Alvida' below it, along with a small heart following it, tailing from the 'a' at the end of her name was inscribed into Zoro's skin. The name itself was intricate, and curly and in bold, which made Sanji think they had done it over a few times. But now he knew Zoro had been asleep during all that, it wasn't so bad. If he had of been awake… and Alvida had forced him to suffer that… Nami's eyes narrowed.

"Bitch…" she muttered before standing suddenly, her hair shadowing her eyes, "I'm gonna fucking melt her assets, hack into her bank accounts, any damn thing!" and she made to stalk from the room. Sanji stood quickly, grabbing her arm and pulling her back to him for a deep kiss that he knew would calm her down. Nami squeaked slightly, falling into the kiss for a moment before pulling away and glaring slightly at him.

"That's cheating…" she commented softly, but gave no indication that she disapproved. Sanji shrugged.

"I'm a cheater." he replied before grinning slightly and turning back to Zoro. Nami moved back into the lounge and slumped back onto the sofa. Sanji sighed and grabbed the blanket that was always left over the back of the couch and sat down beside her, settling it over himself and Nami as he sighed again and glared a little at Zoro. Forcing himself to calm, he knew it wasn't Zoro's fault… but he couldn't help it. He had to be mad at _someone. _

"You know, he's not gonna be asleep for long now that _that's_ resurfaced." she drawled.

"We'll just have to be ready…" he said as Nami nodded in agreement and sighed softly, her eyes resting intently on Zoro and Luffy's inert forms.

---

About an hour later, Luffy was still fast asleep. He was leaning against Zoro's leg heavily, his arms still laying on the floor beside him. Zoro was still fast asleep, having slid down slightly in the seat but not woken up at all. Nami was half falling asleep herself, her head lolling forward every now and again before she would snap it back and yawn. Sanji watched this once before he decided to say something.

"Maybe you should have a nap, Nami-san? We've had a long few days…" he said quietly and Nami sighed softly, smiling a little up at him.

"No, I'm good." she replied, nodding slightly as she smiled up at him. Neither of them noticed the very faint twitch that Zoro gave. His nightmare had just begun…

"If you're sure - can I get you anything?" Sanji offered, being polite as ever. Nami smiled a little, and shook her head.

"No, I'm ok…" She said softly as she yawned again and moved over to lean her head on his shoulder, bringing her legs up and curling them up on the couch beside her as she watched Luffy and Zoro sleep. It made her wonder sometimes… What really went through their heads? When they panicked… When they slept. She supposed it was just that mother instinct she felt for both of them, but… it really made her wonder. Their minds… they seemed to twist everything to make it their fault. As if blaming themselves was the right thing to do, and blaming anyone else was just blasphemy.

Sighing slightly, her eyes drifted closed before she jerked them open again. As soon as her head had been laid on his shoulder, Sanji's eye had popped into a love heart, and a goofy grin had begun weaving its way across his face. But he heaved a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, instead reaching up to pet her hair softly and press a kiss to the top of it. Nami was sniggering softly, having seen his little 'goofy attack'. It had taken a lot of hard work to 'train' Sanji not to be so overenthusiastic about expressing his love for her, but finally over the years, Nami had achieved her goal. Now he rarely made such silly grins, and though from time to time she missed the endless compliments, she would gladly go without them if it meant she could go out without the fear of Sanji Embarrassing her when he felt the need to 'proclaim his love'.

"I saw that…" she said quietly and the grinned slightly.

"Can't help it. Nami-san's so beautiful." he reasoned and Nami snickered softly.

Zoro jerked in his chair wildly, before he twisted slipped forward, his asleep legs buckling underneath him and not stopping him from sliding completely down in the chair, and then out of it and onto the floor behind Luffy. He was now position on his knees with his chest against Luffy's back and legs at either side of the boys hips. The short thump woke him up effectively and he looked around wildly, sitting up and not recognizing anything in front of him, not even the boy who was now leaning against his chest instead of his leg. Turning away from Nami, Sanji blinked upon seeing Zoro sitting on the floor.

"…Marimo? You okay?" he asked before his own eyes widened when he saw the absolutely terrified look in the teen's eyes, "…Zoro…"

And he gently nudged Nami away from him as he slowly got to his feet. She pulled back slowly, knowing that sudden movements when Zoro was like this, was NOT a good idea. Zoro jerked again at hearing Sanji say his name and he hugged himself… though, when he did that, he ended up wrapping his arms around Luffy's neck at the same time due to their positions.

Shivering, he shook as he looked around, the room not familiar to him at all after the nightmare, images from his past blurring to create _that_ room. The one he'd dreaded going to any time he was to be punished in the orphanage. Nami just watched and stayed where she was, though her eyes widened when Zoro's arms wrapped around Luffy's neck. She knew Zoro could only handle one person in front of him at a time, and in no way could she handle him when he was violent, and it looked as though possibly he would go that way. Sanji very slowly crept another step closer.

"Zoro… easy… come on… let him go…" he said, holding both hands by his side and resisting the urge to reach them out in a placating gesture. Zoro didn't really respond well to any body movement in episodes such as these. In actuality, he was more than likely more asleep than awake right now, still trapped in the tormenting dreams of his past.

Luffy didn't seem fazed in the least by the movement, sleeping soundly and as heavy as ever, his mouth slightly open in a soft snore as his head lolled to the side. Zoro shuffled backwards away from Sanji as the blonde slowly approached, Luffy gave a little grunt as he was dragged back by his neck alone, but still didn't wake. He was used to being moved by single limbs in his sleep like when Gramps decided he wanted him in a different position; he would drag him by an arm or a leg, or even his neck, much like now. Luffy had trained his body to sleep through it.

Zoro wasn't actually seeing the blonde man in front of him but was instead seeing an ominous shadow. Ominous shadows were very, very bad because they usually revealed that it was Alvida… He was tugging Luffy unknowingly with him. Nami clenched her hands together, her knuckles going white as her fingers started to shake. One wrong move by any of them, and Zoro could snap Luffy's neck like a twig. Sanji crouched down so he was at Zoro's level and leaned forward very, very slightly.

"Easy does it. It's Sanji, Zoro… come on, it was just a bad dream…" He tried to calm Zoro down.

But the problem was… it wasn't _just _a bad dream. It HAD actually happened to him. It wasn't like it was something fake that his mind had made up. It was all good and well for Sanji to say it was 'just a bad dream' but, they didn't plague him constantly like they did Zoro. Tightening his grip, Zoro shook his head and clenched his eyes closed.

Pain lanced through his side from his nightmare again and he clenched even tighter on Luffy's neck. Seeing this, Sanji's eyes widened before he panicked slightly, not knowing what to do and never having had to deal with Zoro in a situation like this. Dealing with Zoro after a nightmare, yes, but in those occasions they hadn't had Luffy. They could just leave him to cool off for an hour, curled up wherever he was and steer clear of him, but this was the first time Sanji had ever dealt with Zoro in such a delicate situation. Deciding to try a method he didn't like using, Sanji took a deep breath and straightened himself a little.

"Zoro! Let go of him RIGHT. NOW!" the cook said loudly and firmly.

Zoro's eyes snapped open and he was totally unseeing this time. Alvida had been yelling at him in the nightmare… she was still here! Oh god no! Gasping slightly at first, Zoro slowly began choking on his own fear, wheezing and shaking violently as he stared at Sanji.

"…Damn it…" Sanji whispered. He didn't know what else to do! If soft things didn't work, then harsh things usually did. But… Zoro wasn't responding to either of them!

Zoro's chest had seized up on him, and he had stopped breathing altogether, his mouth open and gaping as he tried to take in air but he just could not get any. His arms stayed around Luffy's neck, but they loosened slightly now that he was twitching very gently.

"Hng?" Luffy noised as he sleepily blinked awake. He wasn't really woken by the noise, and movement as such but more by his body. Like a cat, Luffy's natural nature had become that he would nap, awake, move and then go to sleep again. Noticing the arm around his neck, the boy blinked in confusion and tilted his head slightly. Was he being hugged? Noticing Luffy awake, Sanji's eyes widened.

"…oh shit…" he whispered, glancing at Nami whose own eyes had gone very wide as well. Her hands were shaking and she was chewing on her lip rather violently. This was bad… very, very bad. If Luffy panicked, then Zoro would and then they would both struggle and someone would no doubt end up getting hurt, and from what they knew, it would end up being Luffy.

Said boy blinked a little as the arms loosened further before he turned in the grip until his chest was flush with Zoro's and he blinked a little when he noticed that his green haired wasn't breathing. …could people do that? He'd never tried to hold his breath except for when Gramps had given him a 'bath' but he could never actually _stop_ breathing. Zoro was so cool! Looking up, he tilted his head a little at the look on Zoro's face. He looked scared… Luffy frowned sadly, not liking that look.

"Did something scare you?" he asked, his voice soft and calm. Zoro didn't hear him, his eyes starting to roll back into his head slightly as the world wavered around him. He made a slight choking sound and Luffy frowned sadly again.

"It's ok…" he said softly, reaching out and wrapping Zoro in a loose hug. Slowly, he rocked the older boy from side to side like one might do with a baby or a little kid, "I remember a really long time ago, there was a guy. I don't know who he was, but when I got scared, he'd cuddle me and let me wear his hat. I used to love it more than anything when he rocked me, and I didn't feel scared anymore…" His voice was so soft, almost sleepy as he gently rubbed Zoro's back and continued to rock him.

"Then, he let me keep his hat so I wouldn't get scared anymore and… he went away…" Luffy finished softly and leaned his head slightly against Zoro's shoulder. Zoro gasped softly and started to breathe again, taking heavy gasping breaths as his eyes drooped tiredly as he listened to Luffy's voice, and Luffy's voice alone. It was so soft… and soothing… And the rocking made him feel comfortable… the hug making him feel strangely safe.

Nami watched in amazement, unbelieving that that had just happened. It was also so sad to watch, and so cute at the same time. And hearing Luffy's story… she wondered who that man was. Surely it couldn't have been the Grandfather… So… who had it been? Sanji was blinking in shock, not believing what had just happened either. Never, had Zoro reacted so well to human contact before. Never… Zoro was panting a little now as he regained his breath, his shaking having subsided.

"See? It's nice," And Luffy yawned, his eyes drooping, "…ne?" and he leaned his head more heavily on Zoro's shoulder, continuing to rock from side to side as his eyes drooped, "Is Zoro better now?" Slowly, Zoro raised his arms again, wrapping them around Luffy in a return hug. Sanji and Nami could hardly believe their eyes. Zoro _never_ hugged. Zoro _hated_ hugs because hugs meant contact and contact usually meant pain with him. He'd NEVER reacted so well before.

Zoro was so tired, he couldn't see anything, although his eyes were still open.

It was dark…

All he could feel were the motions, and all he could hear was Luffy's voice, though the words didn't seem to make any sense. Everything was kind of blurry now and things seemed to be moving in slow motion. Nami sniffled slightly, curling her legs up to her and smiling a little as she rested her chin on them. That had literally scared her to tears.

Giggling slightly as the hug was returned, Luffy pulled back a little to look up at Zoro with a smile.

"There. You're not scared anymore, see?" and he tilted his head, "Zoro looks sleepy…"

"Nn…" Zoro noised, his eyes drooping completely as he fell asleep again before he jerked awake and blinked a little and then leaned forward and rested his head on Luffy's shoulder. He was just about asleep again, and really had no idea what he was even doing.

"Warm…" he said quietly, heaving a deep sigh as he fell asleep again.

"Mhm." Luffy replied, nodding before he wrapped Zoro in the hug again and nuzzled gently closer again with a yawn. He was already starting to fall asleep again. Sanji shook his head slightly in amazement and half amusement as the two fell asleep again and he moved carefully closer. Gently, he pried Luffy back from Zoro.

"Come on, kid… it's time for bed…" he said softly before turning to Zoro and shaking him very slightly, "Zoro…? Zoro, come on, wake up. Time to go up to bed."

Zoro blinked blearily up at him, his eyebrows furrowing slightly as he missed the warmth, but he got to his feet and stumbled his way up to his room, the dream now completely forgotten and his mind blank, focused soley on getting to his befroom and going back to sleep. Sanji watched him go before standing himself and helping Luffy to his feet. Nami watched as Zoro left before she turned and smiled at Luffy.

"Night, Luffy…" she said quietly. Luffy's head was already nodding as he leaned heavily against Sanji. In a small twist, he turned and wrapped his arms around him with a huge yawn. Sanji blinked at the sudden contact.

"Oi…" he noised a little sharply, not used to hugs from anyone besides Nami. The red head smirked lightly at this and giggled very softly. Heaving a sigh Sanji twisted awkwardly, glad for his flexibility as he scooped Luffy up into his arms. Turning, he headed out the doorway and up the stairs.

"Kid… you're way too old for this…" he said as he set the boy down on his bed.

The cook tucked their new guest in, pulling off the kid's shirt before tugging the duvet up and over him. He moved back out and glanced in at Zoro, who was curled into a ball on the floor beside his bed, and sighed. After that, he headed back downstairs and into the lounge room again. Nami was still in the same spot, her legs having slipped down to rest on the floor again as she chewed on the insides of her cheeks, thinking about what had just happened and the different and bad outcome that could have come from it. Sanji moved in and settled on the couch beside her, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer until her head was on his shoulder again.

"They're asleep." he said needlessly, and Nami nodded gently against his shoulder.

"That was… freaky. I thought he was going to break Luffy's neck…" she said quietly and Sanji sighed softly.

"Terrifying more like…" he added and Nami nodded a little again before smiling slightly.

"That was sad and adorable at the same time though… I never would've thought Luffy'd be able to do that… But… It seems to fit at the same time…" she said, her eyes narrowed slightly in confusion.

"It was weird. Zoro's never reacted well to close contact before, but this time… it's like Luffy knew it was just what he needed…" Sanji added, his own eyes narrowed slightly in confusion. Nami sighed softly, and a little sadly.

"We can't understand them, Sanji… we can sympathise, _try _to help… but that's not enough…" she said and Sanji shrugged very slightly.

"I guess. I mean, he knew because it happened to him. He could see Zoro was scared but… I don't get why Zoro didn't push him away like he does you or me…" he continued and Nami blinked very softly, trying to make sense of it as well. It was weird…

"How did Luffy know the _right _way to hug him, when we didn't? Zoro didn't push him away then. How did Zoro come to be friends with him when Zoro doesn't even _speak _to strangers? Why does Luffy love being around Zoro so much? It's like all those things, Sanji… they're unexplainable… to us anyway." she said, shrugging slightly herself.

"I guess they understand each other better than we _ever _could. They understand their feelings because they both experience them…" the cook sighed, "I hope they can help each other…"

Nami sighed softly as well.

"Yeah… me too…" she replied, starting to fall asleep again before she smiled rather wickedly, "They were so cuuuute together!" and she giggled slightly. Sanji rolled his eyes and snorted softly.

"Ah, Nami-san is such a yaoi fangirl…" he commented and Nami snickered softly before yawning and moving away from him, getting to her feet and stretching.

"Time for bed I think…" she said, heading for the door and then pausing as she waited for Sanji to follow, but the blonde had other ideas. He smirked a little at her and Nami blinked before rolling her eyes slightly as she recognized the rather perverted tint to it.

"You know… the 'kids' are asleep…" and he raised a swirly eyebrow at her. Nami raised her eyebrow in return as she put a hand on her hip.

"Me, plus tired, equals sleep. Sanji, bracket, perverted sex maniac, close bracket, plus tired Nami, equals Sanji getting hit around the head. Get the picture?" Nami said, shutting him down completely, and then kicking him out in the cold figuratively speaking. And she left, heading up the stairs and into their room leaving Sanji to sigh, his mood dampening considerably as he headed for the kitchen.

He never got any… not since Zoro had come-Ack! He was doing that again. Blaming Zoro… fuck, he'd better stop doing that quick smart or he would end up doing, or saying something he would regret later. But still… they just couldn't with Zoro around. Any noise from them, and he would be sent into an instant panic attack and it didn't help that he was usually up all hours of the night, unable to sleep for more than a few hours on end. He didn't know who it sucked to be, more.

Himself… or Zoro.

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**Clarobell: So there it was, chapter 13. Anybody got any idea of what's coming up? Jess, Flamey, you guys can't guess, lol. Hope you enjoyed!**

**Plushie: Hit the review button!! Or i'll give you my horrible, disease thingy that I have!! -threatens-**

**Clarobell: I have a chainsaw… need I say more?**

**Plushie: ... don't worry, I have the petrol FOR the chainsaw. But whether that's a good or bad thing, is up to you guys. -coughreviewcough-**


	14. Chores

**Clarobell: Sorry guys, but Plushie couldn't leave an author's note today as she's very ill and had to leave early. Review replies will go out tomorrow hopefully and thanks to all who reviewed. Please review again and help our Plushie feel better eh?**

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 14: Chores**_

Silence reigned through the house. It was about six in the morning the next day, and everyone was still asleep. Luffy was asleep in his room, Sanji having put him into bed after Zoro had woken from a nightmare, where he'd slept for the remainder of the day. Nami and Sanji hadn't bothered to wake him again as they figured he probably needed the sleep and wasn't used to being awake for very long. Apparently the same courtesy hadn't been extended to Zoro, as he was asleep on his bedroom floor, curled up on himself. He'd moved there after waking up from his nightmare downstairs and fallen straight back to sleep. Sanji had decided not to try and move him as he was a very light sleeper and would probably wake if he did. Zoro, as he was, could use all the sleep he could get.

A few more minutes passed as the sun rose in the sky, rising later in the morning due to the late time of year. Luffy blinked awake almost automatically, letting his eyes slide open and looking around. Now that he was fully rested from the past few days of stress, he realised he still had yet to do his daily chores. If he didn't want to get a beting, he really should get to that…

Yawning and stretching, he smiled slightly as he realized it was early. He would have an hour or two to do his chores if Nami, Sanji and Zoro got up around the same time as Gramps. Oh, but then again, what if they didn't? What if they got up earlier? Nope, that wouldn't do at all. He'd just have to do his chores extra quick then. Gramps used to be mad at him if he didn't get his chores done on time, so, he had to get things done nice and quick so Zoro didn't get mad.

Getting up, Luffy shook his head a little to get rid of the tiredness before getting up and slipping on his sandals, which Sanji had placed by the bed. He frowned slightly as he realised he'd woken up in the bed again. He could have sworn he'd fallen asleep downstairs... on the floor against Zoro's leg… oh well. He waking up in all sorts of places since he came to stay here, but at least they were all comfy, unlike at Gramps' apartment.

Heading for the doorway, Luffy looked out, both hands disappearing in the folds of another one of Sanji's old shirts. His pants had been doubled up about four times at the bottom as Sanji was much, much higher than he was. Nami had told him he was small because he didn't eat enough. She also said she would get him fed up. He hoped she wasn't teasing like Gramps, because food would be really nice. Maybe he'd even get two or three meals week!

Scratching at his hair and smiling at the still soft feeling, Luffy set his straw hat on his head and then hurried down the stairs, padding so lightly that he couldn't have even woken a mouse. He hurried into the kitchen and set about making breakfast. Upstairs, not having heard a noise at all, Zoro's eyes snapped open due to one of his frequent nightmares. Looking around quickly, he relaxed and heaved a deep breath before yawning. Slowly, he sat up and rubbed at his still tired eyes, before stretching. He heard something pop in his back and looked over his shoulder in a slightly offended way before getting to his feet.

Stretching again, Zoro pulled at his arms and back, going through a well known routine from the orphanage. It was a stretch that allowed him to get rid of all the soreness of sleeping on a cold, hard floor and he had managed to come up with it in those cold rooms at that horrible place. Padding out of the room and then moving silently down the hall, he looked around the door into Luffy's room and blinked when he didn't see any trace of the boy anywhere. Blinking, he moved inside and looked under the bed.

Luffy was busy downstairs though, washing all the clothes that had been dumped there by Nami for Zoro to do that day. There were still clothes in their rooms though. Grabbing the washing out of the machine, he hurried just outside to the small clothesline and hung them up. Trotting back inside again, he padded into the kitchen and after a short look at breakfast to make sure it was doing fine cooking on a low gas, he began sweeping the floor, shifting chairs around as quietly as possible and humming softly to himself as he did so.

Zoro's sharp hearing picked up the sounds of the chairs shifting and he looked up from peering under the bed, thunking his head against the wood and glaring at it angrily before gazing at the stairs as if he could see down them from where he was. His eyes narrowed slightly as he slowly got back to his feet and he listened as he heard another light scraping. His hearing was a lot better than even Sanji and Nami knew, due to the fact that he was always on alert and _always _straining his hearing to make sure nothing bad was coming. Paranoia really was a pain in the ass.

"What the…?" he muttered before he moved out of his room and to the top of the stairs. What if… And Zoro's mind began to think the worst as he crept to the bottom of the stairs silently and peeked at the kitchen door.

Luffy meanwhile had finished mopping, and now had three plates on the bench. Serving breakfast carefully, he smiled at the neat little piles that he'd made on the plates. Perfect. One for Zoro, one for Nami and one for Sanji. None for him because Gramps didn't like it when he served himself, and he was sure they wouldn't like it either.

"H-hello?" Zoro asked from the base of the stairs nervously.

He couldn't see anyone in there, and the floor was shining brightly. Sanji wasn't normally up _this _early unless he was going out to check on the restaurant as he often did on random days to keep an eye on the cooks. Who could it be…?

Luffy appeared from the room, causing Zoro to jump and then sigh in relief. He'd been a little worried there for a minute. Handing him a plate, Luffy hurried past to go upstairs. Blinking down at the plate, knife and fork and breakfast that was in his hands, Zoro looked back up the stairs after Luffy. Didn't Sanji normally cook breakfast?

Knocking politely on Nami's door, Luffy waited for an answer, still humming quietly to himself.

"Who is it?" a slightly groggy voice replied softly.

"It's me, Luffy" the dark haired boy grinned, "Can I come in?" Sanji gave a light snore, still dozing. Nami prodded him hard in the head.

"Yeah." she replied. The cook blinked awake and looked around.

"Nng?" he asked intelligently as he yawned and propped himself up on his elbows.

Luffy grinned wider as he opened the door and came in, setting down a plate, knife and fork on Nami's bedside cabinet before moving around to Sanji's side and setting the same thing on the cabinet there as well.

"Good morning!" he said brightly before trotting out again to carry on with his chores, moving down the stairs past a still bamboozled Zoro. Nami looked at the plate of food and blinked.

"Umm…" she noised, very confused at this turn of events. Usually Sanji brought her food... not Luffy. And Zoro had never done anything like this. Not that he was lazy... he just didn't know how to cook and wasn't exactly eager to learn.

"He made… breakfast for me?" Sanji asked, not really sure if that was how the system was supposed to work.

"Apparently so…" Nami replied, taking her plate and setting it on her lap. Sanji smirked and stretched, propping himself up and grabbing his meal, digging in. Potentially, he could get used to this…

Luffy took out the finished second load of washing from the machine, and folded it up, as the others weren't dry and couldn't be taken down yet.

Zoro had sat down on the stairs, sort of lost as to what to do. Luffy was doing all his chores and he was left with food that smelt really good, but he felt guilty that Luffy was doing the things that _he _was supposed to be doing. He took a tentative bite of his food, hunching his shoulders a little at his insecurity. Really, there was nothing else for him to do right now. 

Luffy smiled as he finished folding the laundry and he moved out of the laundry room and paused as he swayed and stumbled a little before blinking and shaking his head a little, raising a hand to it. When it didn't happen again, he smiled and continued on his way, hurrying past Zoro, who had just finished his meal and was gulping the last bit down. Flitting into Zoro's room, Luffy picked up the clothes from the basket in the corner.

"Um… Luffy?" Zoro asked from the stairs. The boy jogged out of Zoro's room.

"Yeah Zoro?" and he was gone into Nami's room. Sanji looked up and blinked in surprise as Luffy picked up yesterdays clothes, and then padded quickly out again. Well… that was something new. He looked at Nami, who shrugged. Both of them were rather surprised by this odd change of events.

"…What are you doing?" Zoro asked as Luffy hurried past him again. This kid was like a damned whirlwind! Moving around the house and sweeping up everything messy or unclean in his path.

"Cleaning." Luffy replied simply from the laundry room. Zoro looked through the banisters at Luffy and tilted his head slightly.

"Why?"

"Cos that's what I'm supposed to do!" Luffy replied, dumping the clothes into the basket, as the third lot he dumped in there before, wasn't finished yet. Grabbing a cloth and spray from under the laundry basin in the echoing room, Luffy trotted back out again, jerking his arms a little so the sleeves would slide back and he could use his hands. 

"But…" Zoro began, leaving his plate on the stairs and following Luffy, "You're doing my chores." and he stuck his hands into his pockets. Nami smirked as she saw Luffy trot past, Zoro following him.

"No I'm not." Luffy said as he hurried into his room, "These are my chores…" and he began to clean the surfaces of all the things in the room. Zoro blinked.

"Did you have to do this at…" and he trailed off, hesitating to say 'your grandfather's place?' because he didn't know what sort of reaction Luffy might have.

"At where?" Luffy asked as he finished the surface cleaning and arranged the ornaments and things neatly, and then made the bed. Zoro couldn't believe how fast this kid was doing all of this! It was… amazing really. Luffy switched cleaners, pulling the one he'd put in his back pocket before, out and sticking the one he'd just used, in there. Hurrying to the wall, Luffy began to polish the pictures and any glass surface as he could find.

"Never mind." Zoro replied. Quickly finishing with the mirrors, Luffy trotted out and past Nami and Sanji's room again. Nami laughed as she saw Luffy trotting past happily, and then a slouching Zoro hurrying along behind him. Elbowing Sanji (who was still eating) in the ribs, she quickly pointed.

"Look." She said. Sanji did look up, and smirked.

"He's like a little puppy, isn't he?" he muttered, referring to Zoro and slurring slightly with a mouthful of egg.

"Yeah…" Nami replied, laughing before elbowing the cook again "And don't talk with you're mouth full".

Sanji nodded obediently and glanced up as the two dashed past again. Zoro sure had attached himself to Luffy quickly. The green haired teen was blinking in shock at Luffy's progress in his room, and then hurrying to follow as Luffy fairly ran into Nami and Sanji's room, he paused as he saw the two in bed and looked from Luffy (who was cleaning the window) to them.

"Wow…" Sanji muttered, blinking in amazement.

"…He's doing my chores." Zoro stated, jerking his head at Luffy. Sanji turned to Nami, the boss of the house. Nami shrugged and smirked.

"We'll just have to find more things for you to do then, Zoro." she responded, turning back to watch as Luffy cleaned her mirror. The fact that every occupant of the house was now in her room, didn't seem to bother Nami that morning.

"Actually…" Sanji muttered, blinking as he thought for a moment, "He's doing mine too..." 

"Then you can pick the oranges today." she said, smirking slyly at him.

"Nami, do you have a vacuum?" Luffy asked, pausing as he looked around.

"Umm… in the cupboard down the hall, but you don't have to do that Luffy. It's okay, really." Nami assured him.

"Yeah I do…" Luffy replied and jogged out of the room to get the vacuum, sounding perfectly happy. Zoro glanced at Nami and Sanji, who smirked back at him, before hurrying out to catch up to Luffy. Sighing, Nami turned to Sanji.

"I guess he does." and she shrugged.

Sanji chuckled and set his empty plate on the bedside cabinet again. He was kind of surprised. Luffy was a pretty good cook, but then again, he'd probably had to cook for 'Gramps'.

Luffy quickly found the vacuum and then plugged it in, cleaning the carpeted areas upstairs. Zoro leaned against a wall and watched. Vaguely, he wondered when this kid was gonna quit. After finishing with the vacuuming, Luffy put the cleaner away and then hurried back into Sanji and Nami's room, sweeping up the plates and trotting back out of the room, running down the stairs and sweeping Zoro's plate up easily. Zoro trailed after him, jogging down the stairs and moving into the kitchen to see Luffy at the sink, getting the water ready.

"Umm… we have a dishwasher…" Zoro said, not sure if he should even bother telling Luffy about that. The kid had already gotten out the detergent and what not. Luffy paused and turned to him.

"What's that?" Luffy asked, pushing the plug into the sink and then placing the dishes into the water. Sighing, Zoro moved over to the dishwasher and pointed at it.

"It's this." he explained, opening the door and pulling out the tray, "You put the dishes and whatever on this tray and then get these weird soap tablet things," and he pulled out a draw and picked out the box, pulling one out and showing it to Luffy, "and put it with the dishes and then put it back, hit the button and it'll clean the dishes for you." and Zoro bumped his hip against the draw, sliding it shut. Gasping, Luffy stared at it, his eyes sparkling.

"Wow! So cool!" he whispered, almost in reverence. And then he leaned over and stuck his head into the dishwasher so he could look around, "Are there heaps of little men inside that clean the dishes?" Zoro snorted.

"No…" and he paused and blinked, thinking for a moment, "At least… I don't think so…" Nami walked in at that moment, having heard the conversation from outside. She was dressed in her day clothes now and she smirked at the two, moving towards the fridge.

"It's a machine you two. There aren't any men in there." she explained, smirking in their direction. Zoro flushed and frowned.

"I knew that!" he snapped back and then his eyes widened and he bowed his head, muttering a quick apology. Luffy tilted his head and then laughed.

"You're funny, Nami!" he cried. Nami raised an eyebrow. It seemed Luffy was completely back to normal.

Smiling, Nami moved to the fridge, pulling the door open and leaning forward to scan the contents before leaning back as she pulled out the bottle of orange juice and poured herself a glass.

"Thank you. Zoro, can you go and see if the oranges are ready to be picked yet?" she asked. Zoro grumbled an affirmation and brushed past Sanji as the chef stepped into the gleaming kitchen… and gaped at it.

"I don't think I've ever seen it this tidy so early!" he said, amazed.

"Did… I do wrong?" Luffy asked, backing away slightly and looking apprehensive. Nami shook her head at him and set the orange juice on the table before moving over to the boy.

"No, no! Very good!" and she hugged him tightly, raising her eyebrows at Sanji, who blinked out of his stupor and grinned.

"Right! You did a great job kid!" he congratulated him. Luffy giggled at all the attention and praise.

"Thanks, Sanji!"

"No problem, kid." Sanji replied as Zoro walked back in, nodding.

"Yeah, they're ready…" and he glanced at the lounge room he had just walked past, "Umm… TV?" and he smiled a little hopefully. Nami nodded.

"Yeah, go on, Zoro." she replied to him. The green haired teen hurried out and into the lounge room, sitting down and turning the TV on. 

"So, I wonder what I'll do with all this free time?" Sanji asked no one in particular as he looked around the kitchen. Luffy moved out of Nami's slack embrace, yawning as he hurried past Zoro, who watched him as he moved past, and then he went outside and took down the now dry washing. All in al he'd been working for around two hours now and his eyes drooped tiredly. He'd never had to pick up after this many people before.

At Gramps' he'd only had to look after himself, and Gramps. While Luffy was taking down the washing, his eyes drooped completely closed for a moment and he gave a little cough before shaking his head and waking himself up again. Meanwhile, Nami was finishing putting the dishes in the dishwasher, and Sanji sauntered over to her, creeping an arm around her waist and smirking.

"All this free time…" he said, innuendo fairly dripping from his voice. Nami raised her eyes and eyebrows at Sanji.

"The oranges need to be picked, Sanji…" she replied cheekily, reaching up to scratch at his chin and dragging him closer for a quick kiss before pulling away and grabbing Zoro's. and now Luffy's diary from the top of the fridge, sitting down with it at the table and reading through it briefly, before grabbing a pencil and beginning to draw up a table for Luffy. Sanji chuckled and shook his head.

"Of course Nami-san." and he walked out of the kitchen, glancing at Zoro who was fidgeting on the lounge chair, before walking out the back, passing Luffy and giving him a short and affectionate scruff of the hair, which Luffy giggled at before hurrying back into the house. Zoro, feeling guilty about not helping, left the chair and looked around for Luffy.

But, when he peered into the laundry room, Luffy was gone. Tilting his head around the corner, he scanned the room thoroughly before scratching at his head and looking around. Luffy had hurried into the kitchen, having finished the washing and the work for now. He yawned tiredly and Nami looked up at him and smiled.

"Nami… um… can I go back to bed for a little while and then do the rest when I wake up?" he asked timidly.

"Sure… are you okay?" she asked, concerned. Luffy yawned and stretched again, colours blinking in front of his eyes for a moment before he sighed and grinned.

"Yep!" and he slowly walked out of the room, his face a little pink tinged, but he dismissed the heat rising under his collar as an after affect of all the work he'd been doing. Zoro moved into the kitchen just as Luffy had gotten to the top of the stairs. He peered into the room and blinked.

"Eh? Where'd he go?" he asked, looking to Nami, who once again looked up from her diary.

"Bed. He was tired." She replied, sounding concerned. Zoro seemed to deflate a little but shrugged and walked in, hands in his pockets. Upstairs, Luffy had managed to make it into Zoro's room. He yawned and curled up on the floor beside the made bed, drifting off almost instantly. Leaning against the counter, was Zoro, watching as Nami ruled up the table in her diary for Luffy.

He knew about the diary, and he knew the table she was drawing up, as she'd explained to him a few months ago, that whenever he had an 'attack' as it were, he was to tell her so she could record it down. It was to help him, and he was sure she was doing the same thing for Luffy. That got Zoro wondering just how bad Luffy could get… and what if Luffy was like him…? Oh… that would be bad.

"Oi, Marimo, you left the tv. Remember to switch it off when you walk out of the room." Sanji said as he walked into the kitchen with a small container full of oranges. Zoro blinked and ran back into the lounge room, turning the tv off and then going back into the kitchen, bowing his head.

"Sorry…" he muttered. Sanji smiled as he placed the oranges in the basket and turned back to Zoro, sticking his own hands in his pockets.

"S'ok." and he looked around, "Where'd the kid go?"

"He said he was tired, so he went to bed." Nami explained, tapping the tip of her pencil against the diary.

"But… he just got up. He ok?" Sanji asked, sounding concerned. Nami looked up and shrugged.

"I'll go check on him!" Zoro volunteered before hurrying out of the room, almost as if he'd been waiting for an excuse just to go and find Luffy. Sanji raised an eyebrow and smirked at Nami, who blinked, unsure what to say. Moving back out of the kitchen again, Sanji made for the orange groves again. Zoro peeked his head into Luffy's room and spotted Luffy lying on the floor, curled up as tight as he could go.

"What are you doing there?" he asked softly, moving into the room and bending down beside Luffy's sleeping form. Zoro picked him up and laid him on the bed, tugging a blanket over him and smiling a little.

"There…" he said and watched Luffy for a moment before moving back out of the room again, leaving the door open. Pausing, Zoro faintly heard Sanji calling out to him and he blinked and listened harder.

"You know, Zoro, some help might be nice?" the chef was saying, hinting at the fact that he wanted Zoro to help him.

"Umm… okay!" Zoro called back, not sure if Sanji even heard him or not, and then he hurried down the stairs, flashing past the kitchen door, and past the bottom of the stairs and out to the orange groves.

Nami was still at the table, studying Zoro's chart and comparing it to Luffy's so everything was just right. Out in the groves, Sanji was just a little way up the line immediately in front of the door, and he smiled as Zoro walked out. Waiting until Zoro was beside him and picking carefully (Nami would skin them alive if anything happened to her oranges, despite Zoro's condition) and placing them in the container he'd grabbed on the way out. Sanji heaved a soft sigh.

"So, what do you think of Luffy then?" he asked, watching the green haired teen out of the corner of his eye. This had been the first proper chance he'd been alone with Zoro in a relaxed environment and had chance enough to talk to him about their new addition to the family. Shrugging, Zoro reached back up into the tree in front of him.

"He's a little kid." he replied. Sanji almost groaned at the blunt answer, but he kept his cool.

"Yeah, I know. What can you tell me about him?" he asked. Zoro blinked, confused.

"What do you mean?" and he paused to look at Sanji for a moment, eyebrows furrowed. Sanji watched Zoro for a second, inspecting him to see if the Marimo was playing dumb as he sometimes did, but, it looked like Zoro was genuinely confused.

"Luffy. We don't really know anything about him." Sanji clarified. Zoro's eyes widened as he looked back to his tree again.

"Well…" Zoro began, flicking a spider off of one of the oranges and picking it, "He seems to want to cover himself up." and he shrugged as the spider dangled from his arm and he shook it to try and get rid of the annoying creature. The spider was bent on getting its revenge though, for it climbed back up it's thread and began to advance along Zoro's arm at a quick pace. Frowning, Zoro flicked it off and the spider flew back into the leaves again, where it scuttled away, knowing it was defeated. Sanji watched all this, confused by what Zoro had said.

"Cover himself up?" he asked, turning back to his tree and hoping there were no spiders there. He hated spiders. Zoro shrugged some more, realizing that Sanji was trying to get him to talk about what Luffy was really like. Well, Zoro had figured that little game out before, and he'd figured it out now, so, he would give the most double talked answer he could. He'd make it so backwards, he couldn't even understand it himself, but then… he'd never been phenomenally smart. Besides, he only knew what they knew about Luffy. It wasn't as if he'd spent loads of time with him before he came to live with them.

"Yeah, he wants to hide behind a smile." and he twitched as he realized, well, that wasn't exactly double talk so he added a vague end to it, "Or something like that." well, _that_ hadn't gone to plan.

"I thought he seemed pretty genuine. Well… most of the time, anyway." Sanji said. Zoro blinked, forgetting that Sanji was actually trying to get information in favour of defending his own ideas. He was very defensive of what he thought and did, and most of the time, if Sanji conflicted him, then Zoro would spill what he actually was thinking.

"Yeah! But you didn't see him at the circus." and then Zoro snapped his mouth shut, his eyes wide as he turned away and focused on the oranges again. After a short moment of silence to let Zoro think he'd gotten away, Sanji raised an eyebrow.

"And? What happened at the circus?" he asked, his tone of voice implying that Zoro had better answer. But the teen had learned that Sanji never actually hurt him when he didn't say anything, and when Sanji had tried to pry information from him in the past, clamming up was the best option. Either that or playing dumb. Playing dumb was always a good way of getting out of things.

"Circus?" Zoro asked, blinking at him and tilting his head a little before turning back to the tree and pulling down another orange. Sanji sighed and scowled, letting his arms drop from the tree so he could put them on his hips.

"If you don't want to talk, just say so, Zoro." he said, a little miffed that Zoro had simply cut off like that. The teen shuffled away from him, not meeting his eyes and moving to another tree to continue picking, obviously faking ignorance. Sanji rolled his eyes and shook his head, grabbing up the container and going back to the kitchen, leaving Zoro in silence. Once Sanji had gone, Zoro looked after him and his green eyes became a little sad before he took a deep breath and continued with what he was doing, despite the fact that his container was overflowing.

---

The oranges had been picked, and after a few more attempts at getting information out of Zoro, Sanji had given up. Zoro was as tight with any information about Luffy, as he was with his own life. This was both amusing, and annoying to Sanji as he wanted to know what he was dealing with, Luffy-wise, but Zoro wasn't offering anything and whenever the cook had said anything about the circus, Zoro's mouth was shut… tight.

Now, Sanji was in the kitchen with Nami as she read over Luffy's table to Sanji, so he could see if she'd forgotten anything. Zoro, after finding that Luffy was still in bed, had retreated back to his room, falling onto the bed, laying there, thinking about everything that had happened with Luffy. The kid was weird, the kid was hyper, and he craved any physical contact that he could get… and Zoro found that the most strange thing about the boy.

Mainly because he didn't understand, _why_ someone would _want _to be that close to someone that could potentially hurt him (not that he thought Sanji and Nami would). People that could make him cry, or possibly kill him. And Zoro hated the fact that Luffy had chosen him as the clingee. Without even asking, he'd just latched onto Zoro for no reason! Simply because he'd helped the damn kid, but Sanji and Nami had helped too!

Sighing, Zoro rolled over onto his side and brought a hand up to pillow his head on it. He was a little hesitant to admit it, but, he liked having Luffy around. Instead of Nami and Sanji with their sympathy. He loved the two like family, and knew he could never repay them, but he also knew, they could never truly understand what he'd been through. It had been incredibly hard once Zoro had become more self aware. Nami and Sanji didn't have a clue as to how to handle him, and because of that, they'd made mistakes that had ultimately led to very bad situations. Such as, the first time they took Zoro out of the house, they'd taken him to a large… crowded, and very noisy place, a.k.a the shopping centre.

That had led to him being petrified of the entire place, because what had happened to Luffy two days ago, had basically happened to him too. Maybe… that was why he sometimes knew exactly what Luffy was thinking while looking at something that was strange to him, and maybe that was why Zoro found himself wanting to help the boy so badly. Rolling over again, Zoro vaguely heard Luffy talking to Sanji and Nami downstairs. So the kid was awake then. Looking at the clock on his wall his eyes widened. Had he really been lying there thinking for a few hours?

If he strained, he could almost hear what they were saying. They were asking how he was, and Luffy sounded cheerful and happy. Normal. Zoro frowned. Normal. What did that word mean? Incapable of self expression? Average? Ordinary? Was that what normal was, because if that was true than Luffy was anything but. Closing his eyes, Zoro frowned again. Sleep. He wanted to sleep, but, like that was ever going to happen. Every time he closed his eyes, _she _would pop up and frighten him back into consciousness again. But… it was worth a shot. Maybe this time it would be different?

---

Luffy had awoken a few minutes ago, and he had lain there slowly waking. He waited for a few more seconds before sitting up and peering around the room. He wondered what Gramps was doing; whether he was okay by himself. He knew Gramps was hard on him, but, he probably deserved it. After all, as Gramps had said, he was stupid.

Luffy wriggled his toes over the edge, and smiled at them before feeling a heat rise under his collar again. What was this? He'd been sleeping for a while, so… maybe he was still tired? That meant he needed more sleep. So, was he allowed to? Or did he have more work to do? Deciding he'd better check, Luffy jumped off his bed and hurried down the stairs, stumbling a little but catching the banister so he didn't fall.

"…just wish he wouldn't clam up like that." Sanji was saying as Luffy skidded into the room and looked at them. Nami looked up at him and smiled.

"Have a good sleep?" she inquired. Luffy nodded.

"But… I'm still tired. Can I sleep more?" he asked timidly, thinking that Nami and Sanji might yell at him if he asked it wrong. Sanji blinked and frowned in concern.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Luffy replied, eyes wide as he turned to Sanji, who shrugged.

"Go on Luffy. Do whatever you like." Nami said kindly and the younger teen grinned before hurrying back upstairs.

He was so tired, and his chest hurt a little now too. It was kinda hard to breathe, but Luffy dismissed it as just being the fact that he'd run down the stairs like that. Yeah, that was it. Quickly sneaking a look into Zoro's room, he saw his green haired friend lying with his back to the doorway, all curled up and he smiled. Zoro sure liked to sleep a lot.

Sighing with a soft smile and coughing a little again, Luffy went back into his room and lay down on the bed without thinking and tugging the covers up over him, he let himself drift to sleep.

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**Clarobell: Oh, so what's gonna happen next, huh? Huh? You'll just have to review with any questions and maybe we'll give the answer! Thanks again to all who reviewed, and remember, please keep it up. Cheer up our sick Plushie.**


	15. Blackout

**Clarobell: Well, here's chapter 15!! Thanks so much to all those who have supported us! We'll do our best to keep the updates coming!!**

**Plushie: Thanks to everyone who wished me well, and I'm feeling loads better now thankyou!! Enjoy the chappie! **

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 15: Blackout**_

That night, Luffy woke up again, feeling a little better. He was still hot, but that wasn't so bad. He'd get used to it, just like he got used to everything else. Yawning, he got out of the bed and stretched, thinking how nice and soft it was lying on the bed. He'd also figured that since he kept waking up in a bed, they wanted him to sleep in one, and he didn't mind that at all! During the day, he'd had had a few naps, slipping in and out of sleep. Actually, it was kinda nice to be able to just sleep and be left alone.

Gramps had left him alone, but Luffy had been rudely awakened very often when Gramps would simply kick him as he walked past. So Luffy had trained himself to sleep without being awoken, even if he was kicked, punched or anything. That way, Gramps couldn't wake him!...Well, unless Gramps got mad and started to swing harder with the blows… but that hardly ever happened because he'd get bored and wait til Luffy woke up again. The only way he could actually be woken without waking himself, (as Sanji had found very quickly) was any mention of food.

Yawning, stretching and then plucking at his hot shirt, Luffy moved out of the room. Where was Zoro? Looking around, the younger teen spotted his new friend lying on the bed in his room. Smiling, he decided to go wake Zoro and crept stealthily into the older teen room. He let out a sudden yelp as suddenly everything started spinning and he stumbled into the room, catching the wall for support and not caring about the pain that flared in his chest. Maybe…he'll play another time… Grabbing the door on his way back out to keep his balance, Luffy blinked as he slipped forward and it slammed shut. A small click was heard and the room was thrown into pitch darkness. Tilting his head, Luffy looked around, confused.

Zoro clearly heard the door slam closed through his sleep and his eyes shot open. The room was dark… he couldn't see anything. This… this was bad! This… no, this wasn't going to happen to him again, he wouldn't let it! A cold fist of fear, gripped his stomach and twisted, making his breathing turn irregular. His eyes darted from side to side while a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He could not see Luffy at all.

"N-no…" He whispered, jumping off the bed and looking around desperately, his shoulders and hands shaking violently. Where was he going to go? How was he going to get out of this? The door was surely locked, he'd heard the click. He backed up to the wall as he saw something by the door shift slightly.

"No!" he cried and then twisted, his eyes going glazed as he scratched at the wall behind him, tearing the wallpaper away and throwing it around the room before starting on the wall, gouging long marks in it before his fingers started to bleed and hurt, but he continued to pound on the wall, scratching at it. Luffy, frightened by the noise, desperately stumbled around the room, searching for Zoro.

He thought there was someone else in here, someone bad who was ripping at the walls – maybe a monster! Therefore he sought out the only person he knew could help him. Finally feeling an arm brush his, he turned and latched onto a fairly thin torso and clamped his arms tight. Poor Luffy didn't know what he had done, as Zoro stopped scratching at the wall and tensed, grabbing onto Luffy's shoulder automatically and ripping the smaller boy off, not realizing who it was.

"Get off me!" the older teen cried desperately.

There was a harsh thud as Luffy was thrown across the room and the boy hit the wall, sliding down and huddling in a small heap there, shivering in fear. There were loud smashes as Zoro found anything he could, and threw it at the wall. Pictures, mirrors. Luffy covered his head, though nothing ever touched him. There was a loud rip as Zoro grabbed the bed cover and tore it apart, looking for more things to throw and then upon not finding any, began scrabbling at the window.

The first time this had happened, he'd been able to smash the window and escape out into Nami's orange groves, running until Sanji had caught up to him. After that, Nami had invested in Perspex windows. This meant that as much as Zoro scrabbled, threw or hit the windows, they wouldn't break.

Hearing the commotion upstairs, Sanji had bolted immediately from the kitchen, Nami following easily. Wrenching the door open, weak light was let into the room and Zoro dropped to the floor, holding his hands to his head and squeezing his eyes shut as hard as they could go. Nami looked around and spotted Luffy shaking in the corner, and hurried to him, grabbing him and holding him tight to her chest.

"Shh…" she whispered to him as Luffy shook against her. Zoro's eyes were still clenched tightly shut and he was almost curled into a ball. Hearing the footsteps, his eyes snapped open again and he slowly looked up, seeing _her _leaning over him and leering at him through the cloud of his mind. He shook his head and scrambled away, pushing his back against the wall.

"Get… away…" Zoro whimpered, still trying to back up further, but his back was pushing against it painfully already. He couldn't go any further. Nami closed her eyes, holding Luffy all the more tightly and inching a hand over his wide and frightened eyes. He didn't protest, letting her block his view. The darkness made him just a tiny bit calmer anyway.

"Zoro, look! It's me! Sanji!" the blonde said, taking another tentative step towards his friend. The frightened teen shook his head again, not hearing those words at all.

"_Zoro, look. It's me… and you've been a very, very bad little boy." _was all he could hear. What had he done wrong? He'd been sleeping! He didn't do anything wrong!

"No…" Zoro whispered, his breath coming in heavy gasps now, "I- I didn't- You're trying to trick me!" and he shook his head, getting to his feet and shakily clenching his fists. He was going to get out of here, no matter what. No way was he going to let _her _hurt him again. Sanji slowly crept closer.

"Zoro…" he said in a firm, but soft voice, trying to get the green haired boy to realize it was him.

Clenching his eyes shut and then snapping them open in a dark glare, Zoro snapped his arm out, easily punching Sanji in the face. The blonde reeled back as Nami gasped behind him. Watching Zoro carefully, Sanji raised a hand to his bleeding nose and touched it, wincing a little at the pain that shot through his face before frowning and straightening his back, forgetting all ideas of trying to calm Zoro down.

Gulping, Zoro noticed the new stance that his 'attacker' had taken and shook more, knowing that he was in serious trouble now. If he didn't do something… And that thought drove Zoro to jump forward and punch Sanji again, knocking the blonde back once more. Growling in the back of his throat in frustration, Sanji frowned as Zoro continued to advance.

"Nami! Get him out of here! I'll have to do what I did last time!" Sanji snapped loudly and Nami was instantly on her feet, dragging a frightened Luffy out of the room with her and hurrying him down the hall and down the stairs, away from the thud and crack she knew was going to happen. Frowning at Zoro, who was gaining confidence and advancing towards him, Sanji flipped onto his hands and spun, driving his heel into Zoro's head. This sent the teen flying into the wall, where he hit with a nasty crack and then slid down it, coming to rest on the floor, unconscious. Flipping back onto his feet, Sanji brushed a hand through his hair and sighed.

"Damn it." he muttered, moving over and checking Zoro to make sure he was okay. No blood other than that on his fingers and that could be taken care of when he woke. Zoro liked to tend to his own wounds after all. Grabbing a blanket, Sanji threw it over the knocked out Marimo, and left the room, straightening his jacket and aching for a cigarette. Now to go and see if Luffy was okay.

Nami looked up as Sanji came down the stairs and looked into the room, breathing a little heavily. She was holding Luffy to her chest and Sanji turned away, moving for the kitchen.

"Sanji?" she asked quickly, but sighed upon hearing the lighter snap and instead turned her attentions on Luffy. The boy was fisting his hands in her shirt, hiding his face. It had just become abundantly clear to him that Sanji was the one who gave the beatings, and Zoro had just received one.

He would have to be careful around Sanji-san.

Letting Nami go, he composed himself and sat with his head bowed, and his hands in his lap, strictly in obedient mode. Sanji let his shaking hand rest against the counter as he took a long drag on his recently lit cigarette and sighed as he felt the relaxing effect taking hold. Nami had asked him to quit… but he needed one now. Same as he had needed one last night. Moving over, he collapsed into a chair, wiping a hand over his still bleeding nose.

"Are you okay?" Nami asked, looking down at Luffy who had just moved away from her. She checked him over quickly, but only found that he had a piece of glass in his hair but nothing more. It would have been an idea to put Perspex on the picture frames too. She would have to do that now.

"Yes, Nami-san…" Luffy replied softly. Nami blinked and then sighed.

"You don't have to call me that." she replied and Luffy bent his head even lower.

"…I-Is Zoro okay? I didn't mean to…" Luffy mumbled, fiddling with his fingers.

He hadn't meant to hurt Zoro like that, and he knew it was all his fault that Zoro had gotten a beating. It had to be him! He'd walked into the room, and simply slammed a door by accident, and then everything bad had happened from there on. It was his fault…

Nami watched as Luffy continued to tremble lightly before letting out a soft sigh.

"He's alright Luffy. Trust me, it's not your fault." and she gave him a brief hug, knowing that unlike Zoro, contact seemed to soothe the boy more than anything else, "That just happens to Zoro sometimes." Luffy looked up at her, his face anxious.

"B-but Sanji! And the beating! And…" 

"Beating?" Nami asked, and as Luffy looked up at her with sad eyes, a strike of understanding hit her. The noise, Sanji's yelling at her, the thud and then silence. Obviously Luffy would assume after hearing the same noises during his own beatings. Nami shook her head.

"No, no, no…" she said quickly and sighed, "Luffy, Sanji would never hurt anyone intentionally unless he had a very, _very _good reason to." Luffy tilted his head and blinked in confusion.

"Then why did he hurt Zoro?" he asked. Nami forced herself to refrain from sighing. It really was like talking to a child. A little annoying, but, nothing she couldn't handle.

"Because he had no other choice." she replied. Lowering his head, Luffy nodded.

"'Kay." he mumbled.

Frowning a little, Nami found herself thinking that she wanted to make Luffy understand what had happened, otherwise the boy would go on thinking that Sanji was responsible for beating people when they did something bad. It would make life excruciatingly difficult if Luffy continued to think that way. Not to mention, she hated seeing the boy like this. All… obedient, it just didn't suit him. So this is what Zoro had told her about. And now she understood the earnestness in Zoro's eyes when he had told her about Luffy. She understood why Zoro wanted to help him.

"Luffy," she said and the boy lifted his eyes to her, "Zoro often, when things like that happen, the door slamming, he loses control. He… hurts himself, breaks things, rips things apart. He becomes very, very violent. And, there's no way to calm him down at all. So, Sanji did the only thing he could, he knocked him out." Nami explained. Luffy's eyes widened in understanding.

"So… Sanji was… helping Zoro?" he asked, blinking at her. Nami nodded, smiling.

"That's right. Zoro would have hurt Sanji, he would have hurt himself, and he would have hurt us too. He was helping all of us." Nami added, hoping that Luffy would understand this time. Luffy nodded for a moment before smiling.

"Okay Nami!" and he grinned, happy that he had been wrong for once. These people were so nice…he hoped they didn't give out bad beatings like Gramps.

Nami sighed in relief. Thank goodness for that. She didn't want to have to go into detail about what happened to Zoro, and she wasn't going to. Not even for Luffy's sake.

---

Luffy had fallen asleep after his ordeal, much like he always did. He was so used to sleeping away his boredom, that he could literally sleep the entire day away if left un-awoken. Nami had left him on the couch to go and tend to Sanji, who was still sitting on a chair in the kitchen, the table littered with not one, but four cigarette butts already. Frowning, she swept them off and dumped them in the bin but didn't say anything.

"Is the kid okay?" Sanji asked softly as Nami went to the cupboard over the sink and pulled out some first aid gear and cotton wool. She sighed softly.

"He's… okay I guess. I think he's sad that that happened to Zoro." she replied, moving back over to Sanji and pushing his foot off the chair beside him, so she could slide it out and sit down to tend to his face. Sanji gave her a little frown and brushed her hand away as she attempted to wipe at the now dry blood.

"I'm fine Nami-san." he mumbled, taking another drag of his cigarette. Nami frowned.

"Sanji…" she said warningly and he turned to her and raised an eyebrow, allowing her to clean the blood from his upper lip.

"Is Zoro okay?" Nami asked as she searched through the little first aid kit. Sanji shrugged.

"I don't know, he seems alright. Still knocked out." he replied and took a deep breath, "I hate having to do that." and he glanced at Nami, who frowned further as she pulled out some antiseptic to rub at the cut on his lip.

"We're not going to sedate him Sanji. No. I won't do it." she blatantly refused. Sanji shrugged and shook his head.

"Did you tell Luffy to not slam doors then?" he asked a little spitefully as he took another quick suck on his cigarette.

"Sanji, don't be so rude. It was an accident. Luffy said he slipped and he grabbed the door, and it swung shut. That's all. It wasn't intentional." Nami said a little stiffly. Sanji shrugged and took another long drag before Nami yanked his face back again and rubbed the antiseptic on the cut. Letting out a hiss of pain, Sanji pulled away.

"That hurt…" he muttered. The red head raised an eyebrow.

"What a pity. Come here." she said sarcastically as she dropped the small bottle back into the kit.

"Sorry Nami-san…" Sanji muttered, leaning his head on his hand as he placed an elbow on the table. Nami shook her head.

"Don't worry about it. But just be careful what you say about Luffy, he's so fragile." 

"What? Luffy's fragile? He bounces back five minutes later, grinning and-" and he paused as what Zoro had said that day ran through his head again and he let out a sigh, "So that's what Zoro meant." and he let his hand slip around to rest against his forehead.

"What?" Nami asked absently as she searched through the kit for some more cotton wool.

"The other day, while we were picking the oranges, I asked Zoro what he thought of Luffy… and he said he wants to hide behind a smile. I think Zoro meant Luffy wants to hide everything he's _been through _behind a smile." and Nami turned back to Sanji.

"So… what can we do?" she asked softly, taking Sanji's hand and lifting it away gently to dab around Sanji's nose again.

"We'll just have to watch both of them until Luffy learns Zoro's habits, and Zoro learns Luffy's. That's all we can do… for now. And keep trying to teach Luffy how to act his age, and Zoro how to become a little better at handling himself." 

"…" and Nami downcast her eyes before bringing them back up to Sanji's again, "What… what if Luffy can't… recover? What if he stays that way all his life?"

"Nami-san, both Luffy and Zoro are going to be the same to an extent all their lives. But… it's up to us to at least help them battle their fears and help them understand the world."

Nami snorted before giggling into her hand and looking away. Sanji raised an eyebrow, a small smile coming to his face as well as Nami continued giggling.

"What?" he asked, half laughing himself.

"That…" and she took her hand away from her mouth, "So serious…" and she laughed again as Sanji snorted.

"Whatever Nami-san." he replied, taking another drag on his cigarette before looking at her and breaking into laughter himself as Nami burst into violent giggles and gently slapped her hand on the table.

---

Luffy yawned as he helped Sanji with breakfast. He was hot, tired, but at least he had finished all of the chores (despite the fact that they were Zoro's chores and not his own). Giving her paper a quick flick, Nami turned the page, not actually reading it but watching and listening for any sign of Zoro. Sanji's face was a little swollen, but mainly bruised on his right cheek where the main part of the punches had landed.

It was an unwritten agreement (that Nami and Sanji had clued Luffy in on) that after Zoro had an 'attack', as it were, they were to act normal so as to not make Zoro feel bad. Luffy finished filling the pot with water and wandered back over to the stove beside Sanji. Placing the pot down, he picked up a large spoon and began stirring the beans inside, yawning again. Sleep was calling to him, but, he wanted to stay up and make sure Zoro was okay. He'd slept so much, but strangely, he still felt so tired…

"Wonder how long it'll take…" Nami muttered, earning herself a noncommittal shrug from Sanji. Sighing, she looked back down at her paper again.

Upstairs, Zoro raised a hand to his head as he groaned, not opening his eyes.

"…ow…" he muttered before wincing as he felt a large lump on the side of his head. That hurt! His fingers hurt, his head hurt, and he felt a pound of guilt crashing down on him as he remembered what he had done the night before. Groaning again, the teen began to stand up, letting the blanket fall off of him and swaying slightly as he got to his feet. Finally opening his eyes, he clenched them shut again as an assault of light hit them.

"Ow…" he muttered again before slowly letting his lids slide apart. The room… it was destroyed. There… there wasn't a thing in there that wasn't smashed, ripped or scratched!

"…Oh no…" he moaned before stumbling out of his room and across the hall into the bathroom. Looking into the mirror, Zoro wasn't the least bit surprised to find the lump was at least the size of a golf ball. Didn't matter though… he deserved it. He shouldn't have overreacted like that.

It was wrong…

Wincing as cold water hit his hands, he pushed the pain away, forcing himself to wash the blood from his fingers, and then washing his face before turning the tap off with an elbow and wiping his hands on a towel that was hanging on a rack beside him. Thinking about how he was going to make it up to Nami, Sanji and Luffy, he made his way slowly out of the bathroom and towards the stairs.

Sanji and Nami glanced at the ceiling as they heard the footsteps, and Luffy briefly let his eyes follow where they were looking, but then he returned his attention to the pot in front of him. Taking a deep breath, Sanji forced himself to act normal, and Nami did the same thing as clumping footsteps on the stairs announced Zoro.

Pausing outside the door to the kitchen, he took a deep breath and then entered, keeping his head low and not meeting anyone's eyes. He still hadn't thought of how he was going to apologize. Of how he was going to get Luffy to… like him again. How he wanted to be Luffy's friend… but, after something like that, how could he expect Luffy to even stay in the same room alone with him ever again? He couldn't. It was as simple as that.

Luffy wasn't thinking anything of a sort. Noticing Zoro's presence in the room, he turned around with the biggest smile he had.

"Good morning!" and then he turned back to stirring the beans, thoroughly happy that Zoro was awake. The tense moment was shattered as Nami and Sanji followed suit, greeting Zoro like they would any other morning. The green haired teen mumbled a 'morning' in return, but was careful to avoid eye contact.

Luffy was happy Zoro was awake, and he was happy Nami and Sanji weren't mad. All he had to do was finish cooking and then he could go back to bed. Funnily enough though, he was really starting to having difficulty as his vision kept dimming and fading, blurring out and doubling. Things seemed calm and cool. Nobody made a noise or tried to talk, simply enjoying the silence. Not particularly comfortable, but not exactly uncomfortable either.

That might have been why it was such a shock when Luffy suddenly staggered to the side and then his eyes rolled back into his head, and he collapsed to the floor, the pot falling to crash dangerously near his head his lax hand having pulled it down as he fell.

No one had even seen anything! It had happened in the blink of an eye! Sanji jumped at the crash, and swore as his hand slipped and touched the hot plate on the stove, before he twisted and his eyes widened as he saw Luffy lying on the floor. Nami and Zoro had both jumped nearly a mile in the air at the sound as well.

"Luffy!" Nami cried and leapt out of her seat, hurrying over to the fallen boy and leaning over him to feel his forehead, "He's burning up!"

"W-what's wrong with him?" Zoro asked, panicking just a little as he thought it was something he'd caused. Following Nami's example, Sanji let a hand rest on Luffy's head, and sighed.

"Maybe he's just hot because of the cooking?" he suggested, but Nami shook her head.

"He passed out, Sanji. I think he has a temperature…"

"He's sick." Sanji muttered as he let out a short, aggravated growl, "Why didn't we see this?"

He turned his eyes down to the boy before him, and frowned at the red face, and clenched eyes. Luffy was panting like a dog and he would stop every now and again to gulp before panting some more. Hurriedly getting to her feet, Nami moved to the freezer that was a joint part of the fridge, and began searching for something cold to cool Luffy down with.

"Sick from what?" Zoro asked, crouching beside Luffy, and feeling more worried than he had about someone in a long time. The blonde chef seemed to notice Zoro's concern and looked up.

"He's probably been sick a while. Maybe the stress with his grandfather, and the time he spent in the snow… or maybe it's just a bug. I don't know, but from the looks of it, he's had it for at least a few days." he explained, also thinking that possibly the attack last night from Zoro may have accelerated it, but he wouldn't say anything like that to Zoro. The Marimo looked worried enough about Luffy as it was.

"He… he _was _tired a lot. Do you think he'll be alright Sanji-san?" Zoro asked, keeping his eyes focused on Luffy. The blonde almost sighed, but refrained from doing so. He'd done it again. He'd made Zoro call him Sanji-san…

Nami hurried back over with a small towel and an ice pack in her hands, wrapping the ice pack in the towel and then gently pressing it to Luffy's forehead. The boy let out a soft hiss.

"This is only temporary… but it should help for the moment." she said softly, glancing between the two. Raising an eyebrow at Zoro, Sanji shook his head.

"Don't do that Zoro… you know you don't have to call me that." and he reached out a hand and quickly ran it through Zoro's hair, careful to avoid the obviously sore spot on his head, "It's not your fault. C'mon,"

The cook looked down at Luffy again, letting his hand fall from Zoro's head, "Help me get him to bed."

Looping his arms through Luffy's, he wrapped his hands around the boy's thin chest, his fingertips pretty much reaching around the kid's ribs on either side. Sanji had long arms, and hands, but that was ridiculous!

"Damn… he's so light!" he said as he easily picked Luffy up, almost like a large rag doll and then his eyes widened slightly, "Just what has he eaten in the last few days?" Zoro, who had relaxed a little, but was still wary of Sanji, just shrugged as he picked up Luffy's legs. Hurrying the boy out of the room, the two men moved towards the stairs as Nami held the ice pack to Luffy's head.

"Hardly anything…" she said, narrowing her eyes in concern as they slowly moved up the stairs, careful to keep Luffy steady. Sanji's eyes narrowed in a similar fashion.

"Didn't he make himself breakfast when he made it for us? Did you see him eat anything then Zoro?" he asked. The teen he was addressing blinked up at him, eyes dark as usual and then shook his head.

"He handed the plates to us, and then kept cleaning." and Zoro's eyes widened, "Ah, damn… I shoulda made sure he ate something." shaking his head, Zoro moved up the last step, "Stupid kid." Finally they made it to Zoro's room, and Sanji and Zoro hurried Luffy in. Sanji let out a derisive snort.

"I doubt that damn grandfather of his fed him much either. This kid's way too skinny."

"Put him down gently." Nami reminded them unnecessarily, "Zoro, find the heaviest covers you can. Sanji, get a bowl, some warm water and small towels."

"Right." Zoro said, hurrying to his cupboard and searching through it before pulling out a couple of the fluffiest blankets that were in there. He wrinkled his nose at the pink colour, but, they couldn't afford to be choosey right now. Sanji nodded and walked out to get the water, silently berating himself for not paying more attention to Luffy. Not eating enough had probably added to the kids sickness.

Taking the blankets back to Nami, together her and Zoro laid them over Luffy, who immediately began thrashing around weakly, whining in the back of his throat and thumping his fists and feet like a little kid in the throes of a tantrum.

"His fevers so damn high…" Nami muttered as she tucked in the ends. Zoro just nodded.

"N-nooo… Too hot!" Luffy whined, his face scrunching up and burning red as he attempted to wriggle and squirm his way out from underneath the heavy covers. Returning with the water and towels, Sanji frowned as he handed it to Nami.

"How did we not see this!?" he growled, so angry at himself for letting Luffy get sick under his care.

"Sanji, it's not your fault. It's a sickness, and I didn't see it either. Nor did Zoro." Nami said reassuringly as she gently sponged the now wet towel over Luffy's forehead, the ice pack on the ground, forgotten.

"It's cos he was so damned bouncy all the time." Zoro muttered as he watched. Laying a hand on Luffy's forehead, Nami frowned a little as she nodded in agreement.

"Hold still Luffy, this will help…" she said softly when the boy continued to moan, and whine, and twist under the covers.

"P-please… let me out!" Luffy whimpered. It was so hot… He wanted to get out of that horrible cocoon of warmth! It wasn't nice at all, and the blankets were itchy!

"Come on Luffy…" Zoro muttered, laying a hand beside Nami's, "You'll get worse if you don't do what Nami says." Luffy's eyes opened a little, glazed and unfocused and immediately his fevered brain thought he was back with his grandfather.

"I'm sorry Gramps… too hot! I'll be good…" and he let out a small sigh as his eyes slid closed and he fell still, energy spent. Nami let out a soft sigh as both her and Zoro removed their hands, Sanji laying a cloth on Luffy's forehead in their place.

"The fever makes him think he's still with his grandfather…" she murmured softly as Sanji continued to sponge at Luffy's neck and chest. Nodding, the blonde handed a cloth to Nami.

"Could you work on his legs?" he asked and Nami nodded as she took the cloth from him and then moved down to Luffy's legs, pulling the covers up, and pushing the pant legs back so she could sponge. Frowning, Zoro crouched beside Luffy's head, shifting a little so he wouldn't get in Sanji's way.

"You're not with your grandfather Luffy. You're with Sanji, and Nami, and Zoro." he said softly, reaching out a tentative hand before brushing it through Luffy's hair. The boy's hat must have still been downstairs. Luffy began to shiver violently, his teeth chattering.

"S-s-so h-hot…" he groaned. Zoro grimaced, glancing at Nami who gave him a small nod of encouragement. This was escalating so fast! How had Luffy managed to hide this up until now?!

"Talk to him Marimo, let him know you're there." Sanji instructed vaguely as he focused on the task at hand. Nodding, Zoro resumed running his fingers through Luffy's hair.

"It's not hot Luffy. It's nice and cool…" Zoro began, thinking that if he could make Luffy _believe _that he wasn't hot, then maybe he wouldn't be hot, "It's just a really hot day, but you're inside… and you're taking a nice cool shower… or it's raining."

Nami smirked, glancing at him and Zoro shrugged in return. What else could he say? Sanji smirked as well, but Zoro didn't notice as he was trying to think what else he could do or say. Before he could talk again though, Luffy's panting began to slow. He was hearing Zoro's voice, but, he couldn't make out the words in particular. The voice itself… that was calming enough.

"…Zoro…?" Luffy mumbled. Blinking in slight shock, Zoro leaned a little closer.

"Yeah. It's me.." he replied, a lot more relieved now that Luffy's panting had calmed, "How ya doin' buddy? Gave us a little scare." Luffy's face scrunched up again.

"'S hot…" Luffy moaned, once again trying to kick the covers off.

"Luffy, no, they're not hot. Pretend they aren't there…" Zoro said, but even as he said it he knew it sounded lame. Nami tried to hold Luffy's legs still, but ultimately failed as the boy began to once again flail and twist. Sighing a little angrily, Sanji paused in his sponging.

"That's not going to work Nami-san. I hate to do this but…" Sanji began, "Luffy, you are NOT to take these covers off, do you understand? There will be trouble if you do." He was careful not to say 'beatings' because that would cause just more complications than they could handle, and he made sure to keep his voice stern and steady.

"Y-yes… s-sir…" Luffy stuttered as he lay still, and kept still this time. Sanji sighed, continuing his cooling of Luffy's neck and chest.

"Damn it…" he muttered. Zoro sat still then, not sure what to do. Talking to Luffy hadn't helped, so what point was there to it?

"Good idea Sanji…" Nami sighed a little sadly, "It was the only way…" and she was able to continue sponging Luffy's legs. Sanji, who had noticed Zoro's silence, reached out a hand and laid it on the teen's shoulder, ignoring the flinch that always happened when someone touched him.

"Why don't you get some rest. Your head must be sore…" Sanji said, half pitying, half joking. Zoro didn't see the funny side of it and blinked at him before shaking his head and then wincing as it pounded.

"I want to stay here. With Luffy." and he nodded towards the panting boy, "But… I'm tired." and he sat down against the wall "I'll sleep here…"

He was asleep almost as soon as his eyes were closed, his head lolling to one side and Sanji sighed at him, shaking his own head. As he had thought so many times before, _how_ had he been dragged into this? Moving over to the cupboard, he pulled out the last blanket that was in there, and draped it over Zoro before returning to Luffy and checking his temperature again.

"It's going down…" he muttered and let out a sigh of relief. Nami smiled at Zoro, nodded at Sanji and continued sponging.

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**Clarobell: Thanks for reading!! Tell us what you thought! **

**Plushie: Orrr, thought what you tell us:D ... wait, what? -blinks- **


	16. Of Nightmares and Hugs

**Clarobell: Sorry for the late update, guys, but we were having trouble with MSN and getting this chapter ready yesterday. Anyway, we got it out today eh? Please nobody moan, because we're kind of struggling with this now. Thanks!**

**Plushie: MSN is being it's usual horrid self, so sorry. lol. thankyou to the people who pitied Zoro getting kicked in the head in the last chapter. XD **

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 16: Of nightmares and hugs**_

The first thing Luffy noticed when he woke up, was that it felt like his nose was weighing him down to the pillow, and his eyes were watering slightly. The second thing he noticed, was that his mouth was very dry. He let out a soft grunt and began to get up, sniffling and feeling so tired and heavy. But, his chores needed to be done, so, he got up, swayed, and then made his dizzy way to the doorway. He was certainly less enthusiastic about it than he had been the last few days. Unfortunately for Luffy, a certain green haired teen had anticipated this, and was standing there instantly, arms crossed and tired eyes glaring down at the boy in front of him.

"Where are you going?" he asked, one of his eyebrows rose. Luffy looked up at him with wide eyes, before his lids drooped and he looked about ready to pass out again. He gave a heavy sniff; his cheeks flushed red simply from the exertion of standing up.

"I gotta-" and he was cut off as he gave a loud yawn, "I gotta do my work…" and he blinked sleepily.

Zoro shook his head, annoyed that Luffy would even think of doing something in his current condition. Grabbing the boy's shoulders, he turned him and ushered him back to the bed.

"I'm perfectly capable of doing _my _chores, myself." Zoro said, amused, as he gently pushed Luffy back onto the bed and then covered him up.

"But… Gramps said…and I gotta…" his protest ended as his eyes slipped closed and he was snoring lightly in seconds. Zoro looked down with a pitying expression before his eyes shifted and he turned to walk away. Pausing, he glanced over his shoulder at the snoozing boy.

"He really had you well trained… didn't he." He muttered before leaving the room.

Sneaking past Nami and Sanji's room, Zoro was as silent as ever before he reached the kitchen and began sweeping. This was the easiest task for the morning, and he could let his mind wander… Oh, wait… no, he couldn't. Every time he did that, his eyes slipped closed and he nodded asleep. Guess he had to focus on the task at hand then…

"Mm…" he groaned, "Damn tiredness…" and he frowned as he slipped slightly and nearly impaled his eye on the top of the broom stick.

Nami blinked awake and looked around briefly before sitting up and rubbing at her tired eyes. She yawned a little and then remembered their little patient.

"Oh… Luffy…" and she got out of bed, jostling Sanji gently as she did so, before hurrying into Luffy's room, to find the boy asleep on his bed.

Yawning, Sanji woke as well, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes with the ball of his palm. He was so tired, having been up most of the night, checking on their two 'boys' as it were. Because that's what Zoro and Luffy were like. Kids. Frowning a little at his fatigue, Sanji got up and changed before heading for the stairs, briefly glancing in Zoro's room to see Nami tucking Luffy in more securely. Smiling, Sanji yawned and entered the kitchen, locking sleepy eyes with Zoro, who had paused in his sweeping to see who was entering the room. 

"Go back to bed Zoro. You look terrible." Sanji commented, taking the broom from Zoro and putting it against the wall again, "You have no chores to do today." and he stretched as he moved to start breakfast. Zoro blinked blearily at him, rubbing a fist over his eyes before frowning.

"You don't look any better." and he yawned, "'Sides, if I don't do them, Luffy'll have a narnia if he see's they haven't been done." and he took a sleepy step towards the broom, not realizing he'd totally mixed up his words. Sanji turned to look at him, smirking widely.

"'Narnia' was the film we watched last week Marimo. I think you mean a 'hernia'." and he chuckled as he woke up a little more, and Zoro blushed, "besides, I had _one_ sleepless night, you have them all the time. So go to bed. Don't make me bring Nami-san into this." Zoro frowned at him, a little offended but more embarrassed that he'd gotten his wording wrong.

"Which means I should be used to them," and he yawned again so widely, that it left his jaw aching and his eyes watering, "Fine… cheater. Bringing Nami into this…" and he exited the room, mumbling select comments under his breath. Sanji smirked again, going back to making breakfast. He worked quickly, and made sure to make something gentle and easily swallowed for Luffy to eat.

As Zoro was heading up the stairs, Nami passed him on the way down, and briefly brushed a hand through his hair in passing.

"Morning Zoro." she said.

Zoro grunted in reply and Nami smirked as she headed into the kitchen. Dragging his feet into his room, the green haired teen barely reached the side of the bed before slumping against the wall, his head lolling as he fell asleep almost instantly. He had actually meant to get _in_ the bed, but his mind was so tired, it simply led him to the closest spot where he could drop. It wasn't as if he hadn't slept on the floor before after all.

A few minutes later, Luffy blinked awake as he started to cough. Whining in the back of his throat, he looked around the room for some sort of explanation as to why he felt like this. He hadn't had a beating, and the only times he ever felt like this before was when Gramps left the window open in the apartment once, but it was nowhere near as bad as this!

Finding no answers, he gingerly crept out of the bed, pulling the plush duvet with him and padding out of the room. His steps were silent as usual and nobody stirred as he stepped into the hallway. After looking towards the stairs, Luffy decided to go the other way to Zoro's room to see if his friend was there first. Sanji and Nami were nice, but Zoro was best.

As he peeked in, a small smile spread across his face at the sight of Zoro. The older teen was propped against the wall with his head lolling forward, obviously asleep. Clasping the edges of the thick duvet covering him, Luffy crept into the room and over to his friend, crouching down and tentatively laying against Zoro's chest. Snuggling his head a little bit, he paused as Zoro let out a soft groan as the nightmare he'd been going through… faded. Smiling when Zoro didn't push him away, Luffy let his arms rest loosely around Zoro's waist, hugging him ever so slightly but not 'squishing' him, so to speak. Letting himself drift off again, the boys smile broadened. Zoro was so warm… And the older teen, despite himself and despite being held in the deepest darkest realms of sleep, let his lips lift in a small smile.

---

"Good morning Nami-san!" Sanji greeted enthusiastically as Nami entered the kitchen. Smiling at her, he asked, "Did you sleep okay?" Nodding, Nami walked over and pecked Sanji on the cheek before heading for the fridge.

"Luffy's better at least." she said as Sanji's smile widened into an almost goofy grin. The blonde was always happy to receive something from his girlfriend.

"That's good." he replied in a slightly goofy tone, before clearing his throat and regaining control of himself. After getting herself a drink from the fridge, Nami leaned over Sanji's shoulder to have a look at what ever it was he was making.

"So, what's on the menu?" she inquired, smirking a little at how fast his hands were moving, despite how tired Nami knew he was.

"Just something healthy for Luffy." the chef responded, slipping the subject of their conversation, into a cup and turning to Nami, "Do you mind watching the stove while I go give it to him?"

"Sure." Nami nodded and then watched as Sanji strode from the room, before turning back to the stove and making sure nothing burnt over, or caught on fire, or any of the other horrible things that Sanji had told her could happen in a kitchen. It was a little frightening actually… of course, _she_ could have always gone and given the drink to Luffy, leaving Sanji to carry on with cooking, but oddly enough, the blonde haired man seemed to have a better affect on Luffy. He seemed to have an aura of superiority to the boy, basically 'the boss of the house'. Nami, Sanji and Zoro knew different; they knew _Nami_ was the _real_ boss of the house, but with Luffy in that thought pattern at the moment, it was probably better Sanji tell him to drink it, though she doubted Luffy would even _dream_ of disobeying no matter who is was.

The cook jogged up the stairs and strode to Luffy's door, blinking in surprise as he saw nothing but the empty bed. Moving on, he made his way into Zoro's room… and stopped. His jaw nearly hit the floor as he looked in before he turned and hissed down the stairs at Nami.

"Nami-san!" he called in a loud whisper, "Forget the stove! Come here!" and he forced himself not to yell at Nami to hurry up. The red head came hurrying up the stairs, her eyes wide as she thought something was wrong.

"Wha-" Nami began but paused as Sanji pointed at the room, grinning like a maniac, "Whoa…" and then she turned to Sanji and grinned widely, "Told you so! I told you! Luffy IS good for Zoro!" she hissed at him, proud of her own prediction.

Zoro groaned at that point, twisting slightly and raising an arm up and over Luffy, who just snuggled tighter against the older teen's chest. Seeing the movement, Sanji shushed Nami and silently pulled the door almost to, but left a gap just in case. He couldn't really believe what he'd just seen. Zoro wasn't a trusting guy. He didn't even let Nami or Saji near him when he slept and now he'd let Luffy calm him _and_ fallen asleep right next to him, with the kid practically sprawled on him _twice_!

Sighing with a smirk on his face, glad for his friend's progress, he turned to grin at Nami suggestively.

"So… no 'kids' to watch." and his smirk widened, "What _will _we do with our time?" Nami returned the smirk, letting her eyelashes flutter at Sanji just a little.

"Gee… I don't know. But I do know one thing," and she snaked a hand up Sanji's arm and over his shoulder to the back of his neck, rubbing her fingers suggestively at the base of his neck while forcing him down a little so she could whisper in his ear, "You left the stove on."

Sanji stiffened and made a weird choked sound before jumping away and bounding down the stairs, hissing curses under his breath. Giggling, and putting a hand over her mouth so she wouldn't wake Luffy and Zoro up, Nami made her way down the stairs to record Zoro's progress into his diary.

---

A few hours later found Luffy once again awake and, wandering around Nami and Sanji's room. He'd been awake for around half an hour, and after placing his duvet back on his bed, had slowly started getting on with his chores and was currently picking up their discarded clothes, completely oblivious to the fact that both Sanji and Nami were lying naked on the bed asleep the duvet barely covering their essential parts, hanging off their waists, and Nami's chest blocked from view by Sanji's as they slept in each other's arms. The two had decided to take a little nap after their strenuous activities, and hadn't planned on their 'boys' being up do quickly. Humming quietly to himself, Luffy picked up Sanji's jacket and placed it over his arm before Zoro hurried in on silent feet, blushing madly and averting his eyes from the bed and grabbing Luffy's shoulder. Literally dragging the boy from the room. He'd woken up a minute or two ago and gone to check on Luffy only to find the boy missing. Naturally he'd searched for him and had nearly choked on his own saliva upon seeing him in Nami and Sanji's room, the aforementioned people obviously not in a decent state to be viewed. After getting the boy out, Zoro closed the door softly and then turned burning eyes on Luffy, hands on his hips.

"The hell do you think you're doing!?" he hissed, so scared, shocked, stunned and embarrassed, that he was on the verge of laughter.

Luffy blinked up at him with big eyes, Sanji's jacket still over his arm. Growling in the back of his throat, Zoro pointed at the younger boy's room, indicating that Luffy should go back to bed and get some more sleep. The teen was blissfully unaware of the fact that Luffy had snuggled with him all morning, and was quite happy that way. All he knew was that the sleep he'd just had was one of the very rare times he hadn't had a nightmare. Luffy blinked up at him innocently, having no idea what Zoro was so upset about. Had he done something wrong?

"Tidying up…" he replied as though it were the logical answer. At least the kid looked a hell of a lot better.

_He has absolutely no idea… _Zoro thought as Luffy simply blinked up at him, _I wonder if he even knows… _And Zoro shook his head as a train of thought that should never ever be started, began to run away on its railroad tracks. He wasn't going to even think about it! So, he spun Luffy around and pushed him into his room, ushering him back to the bed again.

"Later." he said as he pushed Luffy into his room and prodded the boy onto the bed, "You'll feel even better if you sleep more. Trust me." and after making sure Luffy was in bed and ready to fall asleep again, he moved to leave.

"Zoro?" Luffy asked, yawning, "Can you stay? You're so warm! I slept better when I was with you…" he said and Zoro had to pause and turn.

"With… me?" and Zoro instantly assumed that Luffy meant sleeping in the room made it better, but, he had things to do! He would get in trouble! "But… I…" he began, but couldn't finish as Luffy blinked at him with large and shiny eyes. Sighing, he sat down, "Fine… whatever." and he winced as his butt hurt. He was going to have a permanently sore ass from sitting on this floor all the time. He sighed as he rested his head against the wall, his eyes slitting open and watching his new roommate carefully as Luffy slid off the bed and crept over to him… and then hugged him. Zoro stiffened incredibly, every muscle in his body tensing to breaking point.

"So warm…" the boy sighed contentedly as he snuggled his face into Zoro's chest.

"Luffy… get off me…" he gritted out through clenched teeth, but refrained from ripping the younger boy off of him. He didn't want to scare Luffy again, and the memories from his 'attack' hadn't faded yet. Nor had the pain in his head come to think of it. Luffy did pull back, but only a little bit as he blinked up at Zoro with sleepy eyes.

"But… why? You didn't mind earlier! And you hugged me back!" Luffy whined, pouting. Zoro's eyes widened further.

"I did not!" he replied, offended. He would have remembered if he had… 'snuggled' with Luffy, and he would remember the stiffness in his muscles that always took him over whenever someone touched him. Speaking of… "Look, you'll be more comfortable on the bed… just… please get off me… Luffy." and he closed his eyes and took deep breaths to try and calm himself down. Luffy pouted forcefully, but knew that if he disobeyed, he would get a beating.

"'Kay…" he murmured as he got back on the bed and curled up, closing his eyes. Zoro relaxed considerably, letting out his breath in a soft hiss. Deep breaths… like Sanji always said. Deep breaths…

"I'll stay in the room, just… please don't hug me." and he crossed his arms over his chest, looking decidedly on edge.

Luffy didn't reply, as he was already drifting off. Running a hand through his green hair, Zoro let out another soft sigh and allowed his head fall back against the wall with a soft thunk. Damn… now he was ready for another sleep. Well, hopefully this time it would be the same as last, and he would be able to wake up of his own free will.

It seemed fate wasn't on his side though, and it wasn't long until Zoro woke again from another nightmare, jerking awake with a start and sitting forward to pant heavily for a moment before he heard a soft sniffle. Who…? And then he remembered Luffy and he turned to the bed to see a quivering lump hiding underneath it, a large duvet over the top.

"Luffy?" he asked, still panting a little before leaning forward and moving towards the underneath of the bed, peering inside, "Are you okay? Are you sick?" and he gently reached out a hand to touch the lump, which yelped and scooted away, all sound muffled beneath the heavy duvet. Zoro jerked his hand away before crawling a little further under the bed.

"Luffy, it's me. Zoro. Come on, what's wrong?" Zoro said, not wanting to wake Nami and Sanji (he was still too embarrassed) and hoping that he could deal with this himself. He hoped… He wasn't exactly used to acting this way after all.

"G-Gramps is coming… he's gonna take me away and I can never see you again!" Luffy whimpered, sniffling and letting out soft sobs. He didn't want to leave! Everyone was so nice here! And… he didn't like the idea of being separated from Zoro. Zoro's face turned sad, as he realized what Luffy was talking about, and he could relate. The kid had had a nightmare. His own nightmares often consisted around Alvida coming back and taking him away. Not that she could or would, he was too old now. But still… it didn't stop the nightmares from happening. And… he doubted that it ever would. He could be lying on his deathbed, and her face would still linger in his mind.

"Luffy, he's not here." Zoro whispered as he reached out a hand and tentatively touched Luffy's back again, "Trust me… please?" and he pulled the covers up enough so he could see Luffy's face, which was red and blotchy, tears staining his cheeks. And he was trembling so hard that it almost made Zoro's heart break.

"No! He was here! And-and he said!" Luffy whimpered, his sobbing slightly again. He didn't like to cry, or get upset, because crying was weak and brought him pain from Gramps. Gramps wanted him to stop being such a coward and weakling, but…he kind of also wanted that himself, so he _really_ didn't like to cry.

Zoro's eyes shifted nervously as he tried to figure out what he needed to do. _Think you idiot! Think… _he berated himself. Finally, he came up with a solution.

"But… if he was here, why are you still here?" and he smiled, "He didn't take you anywhere! He couldn't! Not with me watching over you."

Luffy blinked a little in surprise, turning his head and letting the duvet slip back over his head so it was free again, dark hair ruffled beyond anything seen so far.

"But… I saw him…" Luffy mumbled, blinking up at Zoro childishly, and innocently. Shaking his head, Zoro smiled reassuringly.

"It was a nightmare; a bad dream. Nothing can get you from there."

He wished that he believed that himself. How he wished he could just… forget. And as he looked down at Luffy, he saw the same wish reflected subconsciously in Luffy's mind… although the boy didn't look like he knew that it was what he wanted. He backed away as Luffy crawled out, dragging the duvet with him and then blinking up at Zoro, the tears on his cheeks drying quickly.

"There are bad dreams? I never had a bad one before…" and he looked down at the floor and twiddled his fingers, "I've had dreams with Gramps in, and he did all the normal stuff, but that's not really anything scary. I've never had one like that, with you and Nami and Sanji…"

"That's because you didn't know us until recently, eh?" Zoro tried to explain, "Bad dreams are just a part of living. That's what Nami says anyway. There's nothing you can really do about them other then to try and forget them because they're not real."

"I don't like them…" the dark haired boy mumbled

Zoro smiled in pity before reaching out and hesitantly taking Luffy into his arms, forcing his own fear away. Luffy needed him.

"Neither do I, but… Luffy, for people like us, and what we've been through…" and he shook his head sadly, "I don't think we can escape them." As Zoro also realized this, his eyes burned and he bit his lip, forcing the pain welling at the back of his throat, away. Snuggling against Zoro, Luffy smiled slightly.

"Zoro? Why don't you like hugs?" he asked softly, "Bad dreams are scary, but hugs… _your _hugs, make them all better." Zoro's head bowed, and his eyes became shadowed, his arms going limp around Luffy before he let go entirely.

"I just… don't…" he mumbled, remembering exactly why.

"But I would never hurt Zoro." Luffy said, smiling and wrapping his arms around the older teen, "See? Feels nice…" and he yawned slightly, already feeling sleepy again. Zoro pushed Luffy's hands forcefully away from him, his eyes tightly shut and no longer willing to let the boy hug him. It was just too hard!

"It doesn't feel nice at all…! It feels like I'm trapped…" he responded a little more harshly than he had meant. Luffy pulled back, blinking and looking sad.

"M'sorry… I won't do it again." he mumbled. Zoro sighed and opened his eyes slowly, before turning them to look at Luffy.

"When… when I was at the orphanage…" and he took a deep breath as Luffy looked up at him, listening intently, "They used to tie me up… a lot… in anything they could find, and then hang me from the ceiling…" and here his voice wavered as he remembered being left there for days on end, without food and water, until Alvida finally came and got him down again only to give him a beating with that belt...,"And when you, or anyone else hugs me, it feels like I'm trapped again…" Luffy blinked up at him.

"Gramps tied me up a few times," and he paused to think as Zoro waited for him to continue, "then he chucked me out the window! It was a stretchy thing and he left me out there for a long time I think… that was when I was little though… he doesn't do that any more." and he smiled, "Cos I can't fit through the window anymore!" Zoro snorted at how carelessly Luffy had said that.

"At least you were outside. They put me in the cellar while hanging me up." he muttered.

"Really? Is that why you're afraid of the dark? I used to be scared of the dark, so Gramps chucked me in the closet and said I had to stay in there until I wasn't scared anymore." and he shrugged, "So I'm not scared anymore." Zoro smiled a little wistfully. He would have never been afraid of the dark if not for… NO! He was going down that damn path again!

"You're a lot braver than I am…" he murmured, smiling down at Luffy, who blinked.

"I am?" and then he grinned, "Okay then! I'll protect you from the dark and from the mean people then! I promise!" Zoro blinked at him before nodding and smiling himself.

"Thanks Luffy. And I'll protect you from your grandfather. So, we can protect each other from the bad things, ok?" the older teen said, holding out a hand and smiling. Luffy, not understanding the concept of a 'handshake', simply took the hand, holding onto it tightly with a smile before standing up and stretching, heading for the door and letting Zoro's hand go. Turning, Zoro looked after Luffy as the boy headed for the door.

"Where're you going?" he asked, a little panicked. He… he didn't want Luffy to go somewhere without him! Standing up, Zoro watched as the boy turned back and smiled.

"Toilet." he replied easily before walking out.

"Oh…" Zoro noised, a little crestfallen. He suddenly felt so attached to Luffy, that it wasn't possible for him to be parted from him. Shaking the feeling off, he looking down at his hand and then smiled. Sanji walked in, fully dressed apart from his jacket, and he smiled at Zoro as he moved over.

"Hey…" he said and Zoro jerked his head up, tilting it a little at Sanji, before letting a small smile cross his face, the 'incident' from before, forgotten in favour of thinking of Luffy.

"What?" he asked, not realizing that Sanji had been listening the whole time, while Nami had been downstairs.

"He's good for you, I think." and he smiled, "Lunch is ready. Bring Luffy down when he comes out." and Sanji walked out again, a smile on his face. Zoro blinked after him.

"Umm…" he noised, not sure what else to say. About the same time Sanji had gone, Luffy flushed and walked back out of the bathroom, feeling loads better. He was still pretty hot and just a little bit dizzy and his nose was still all annoying and stuffy, but at least he could walk and see straight again!

"Hey!" he called.

Zoro, perked at Luffy's voice, almost like a puppy as he hurried to the door. He didn't understand where the sudden excitement had come from, but he suddenly felt like he had some sort of connection, or bond to the boy. Maybe it was their little sharing of the things they'd been through, and finding things in common, even if they were just bad memories. Whatever it was, he kind of liked it, and peering out the door, offered Luffy a small smile.

"Hey Zoro! Wanna see something cool?" he asked, bouncing in front of the older teen.

"Like what?" he inquired, wondering what Luffy had planned. And indeed the boy showed him. Running straight at the banister, Luffy planted one hand on the polished wood and leapt over it lightly. Zoro nearly had a heart attack! His eyes went wide and he ran to the banister… and sighed in relief as he saw Luffy at the bottom, grinning like a fool and perfectly fine.

"What the hell'd you do that for!?" Zoro asked incredulously.

"It's fun! Haha!" Luffy replied, planting his hands on his hips and practically inviting Zoro to give it a go.

"Uh-!" Nami began, standing in the doorway of the kitchen and blinking at what Luffy had just done. He was alright, and she wasn't mad… but it had been a little shocking to say the least. She hoped Zoro didn't try that. He'd probably have a total panic attack, and/or hurt himself if he did that. You never knew with him.

Well… Zoro had made a decision. He backed away from the banister, and for a minute Nami was relieved. It looked like he was going to just simply come down the stairs… until he ran at the banister, and copied Luffy, leaping over it and landing at the bottom easily. Straightening, he grinned and stuck his hands in his pockets almost proudly, his heart beating a mile a minute, but more from excitement than fear.

"That was fun…" he said, laughing softly along with Luffy a little before spotting Nami standing in the kitchen door. Uh oh… she'd just seen all that… Oh no…

"What's all the commotion Nami-san?" Sanji asked from where he was serving lunch, sounding a little worried, but not too concerned. Nami was in shock. Had… had Zoro just…? Zoro rubbed a hand up the back of his neck.

"Umm…" he muttered as Luffy continued to giggle beside him.

"Z-Zoro… and Luffy just jumped over the banister…" she replied, sounding shocked and amazed. Sanji walked up behind her, poking his head out and staring at Luffy and Zoro.

"Eh…?" and he blinked at them, "Are you two okay?" Luffy nodded happily.

"Fine…" and then Zoro snorted and laughed, a hand over his mouth as Luffy broke into laughter as well. Nami blinked at them, and then looked up at Sanji.

"Err…" she noised, totally lost. Sanji smirked knowingly, and then shrugged. Anything like this was a show of confidence and the cook knew Zoro could do with some of that. He wasn't about to berate him for being brave, even if the jump was a little risky. He showed he could do it so everything was fine. If he'd have hurt himself, it would have been another story, but as things stood, everything was fine.

"Okay then." and he moved back into the room. Luffy made to step forward, but he was hit by a wave of dizziness and he fell back, right into Zoro's arms. The older teen frowned down at him, green eyes narrowed.

"See? I told you…" he reprimanded. Luffy looked up at Zoro with big eyes, and smiled sleepily.

"I'm fiiiiine Zorooooooo." he whined as he picked himself up and walked over to Nami, falling onto her and hugging her without warning. She blinked down at him for a moment before smiling and hugging him in return, while Zoro half frowned, half pouted on the sidelines. Luffy's eyes were closed with delight, absolutely enjoying the attention even if he did look like a drunk, wobbling all over the place like that.

"Can I hug you Zoro?" he asked, not looking back at where he knew Zoro was… just waiting for an answer. He didn't want to spoil the hug he was getting from Nami, if he tried to hug Zoro and got rejected… again. Zoro blinked for a moment and then shifted his eyes to the floor, thinking. Nami knew what the answer was going to be… and she had hoped to save Zoro the trouble.

"Luffy, Zoro doesn't like to be hu-" she began but Zoro made a small noise, causing her to fall silent as she turned to him.

"Yes…" he mumbled, blushing a little, but keeping his eyes focused on the ground.

He let his arms fall to his sides as Luffy turned to him with the brightest smile he could muster. Nami had gone into shock, and her eyes looked like dinner plates they were that big. Moving away from Nami, Luffy stood in front of Zoro, who wouldn't meet his eyes, his cheeks flushed red. Looking Zoro up and down, Luffy knew he had to be very careful about this. Slipping one arm around Zoro's waist, he leaned his head on Zoro's shoulder, so that way, Zoro wouldn't feel trapped at all.

Grinning happily, and feeling very proud of himself, Luffy snuggled his head on Zoro's shoulder even more. He was itching to wrap both arms around Zoro in a tight hug, but he knew his friend wouldn't like that. The older teen had briefly tensed at the contact, before he found that… he was being hugged, but… he wasn't feeling anything! Hey… this was nice. Smiling in a relieved way, Zoro looked down at the top of Luffy's head. Briefly, he wondered if maybe… Luffy was the one person he would ever trust enough to get close to him. He'd never allowed anyone this close before… not even Nami and certainly never Sanji. He loved those two more than anything, but sometimes, they just couldn't understand what he was feeling. Luffy was the first person he'd ever met that could possibly, truly understand him and what he needed. It was a strange feeling knowing that.

Closing his eyes, Zoro let himself relax into the half hug. It was nice _not_ to feel scared of someone. Not to fear them touching him in the wrong way. Nami looked about ready to squeal, and she bolted into the kitchen to tell Sanji about what had happened. The blonde chef started a little as Nami latched onto him from behind, before smiling and craning his neck to look at her.

"Nami-san?" he asked. Nami began tugging on his jacket and then began more forcefully pulling him towards the doorway.

"Come on." she said, and then literally reefed him away from the stove, pulling him to the door. Luffy yawned a little before looking up and seeing Zoro smiling back at him. The older teen's smile fell and he turned his face away, blushing. Grinning widely, Luffy was almost tempted to pull his arm a little tighter around Zoro's waist, but he kept himself in check, and instead, snuggled his head onto Zoro's shoulder and sighed. Sanji was blinking in total shock before he smirked.

"Well, well. Way to go Marimo. Double serving of dessert for you!" and he walked back to the kitchen, feeling full of pride… but wondering how Luffy had managed to hug Zoro (not that Sanji had ever, or _would _ever want to) when they hadn't been able to even touch him for longer than a few minutes. Not even that. And Zoro didn't even seem worried. He was totally relaxed.

The green haired teen blinked after Sanji and then a tentative smile came to his face. He didn't know what he'd done so great to deserve double dessert, but he didn't really care either! Double dessert was double dessert!

"T-thanks…" he muttered before he felt Luffy leaning against him more heavily. The damn kid was falling asleep! He wasn't that… snuggly, was he? Jostling Luffy lightly, Zoro cleared his throat.

"You're going to sleep…" he stated, straightening Luffy up and then letting him go. Hmm… now he found himself wanting the warmth at his side back again. Yawning, Luffy stretched and rubbed at his eyes, leaning gently against Zoro's side again.

"Zoro's so warm…" he reasoned and smiled. Clearing his throat a little, the older teen prodded Luffy off of him, causing Nami to pout. She'd been enjoying watching them relax like that.

"Come on, food. You haven't eaten in God knows how long." Zoro commented, ignoring the wide smirk Nami was giving him as he hurried Luffy into the kitchen.

After situating themselves and getting comfortable, Luffy turned to Nami with a wide grin.

"I had a bad dream today!" he announced, as though it were something the whole world should know.

"Oh?" Nami blinked as she leaned on the table and looked at Luffy carefully, "What about?" Zoro turned his eyes to Luffy, watching him carefully.

"About Gramps. He came and said some mean stuff and took me away and said I couldn't stay here anymore…" the black haired boy stated, grinning widely, "But Zoro made it all better!" and for affect, he patted Zoro on the shoulder gently. The older teen bowed his head modestly, blinking and blushing. Before Luffy came he hardly did anything for others, so he didn't get any kind of recognition for things. He wasn't used to it, so it made him embarrassed and in turn made him blush.

"Not really…" he mumbled. Nami smiled.

"Did he really?" and then she turned to Zoro, "Well done." and Zoro raised his head a little, feeling proud of his own accomplishment.

"And on top of that, Luffy and Zoro made a promise, didn't you?" Sanji added. Luffy grinned and nodded while Zoro stayed silent. Sanji smirked while serving up lunch, setting the plates down and then making sure everything was turned off and nothing could go wrong. This morning… it had been one of the best they'd had in a long time.

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**Clarobell: Apologies for any typos and thanks to all who reviewed last chapter! I hope you like this one!!**

**Plushie: Yeah. We scour this and scour this, and it's not easy trying to read the same chapter about twenty times, so forgive us any mistakes eh? Be a little lenient. it's only a fanfiction. **


	17. The Loss of Control

**Clarobell: Hi guys, apologies for the lack of update last week, but neither Plushie nor myself have been very well at all. I couldn't bring myself to do any typing at all and there's just a lot of crap going on at home for both of us. We DID repost chapter 16, but that was only because only a few people, if any, got the alert in their emails. I know I didn't. Anyway, basically, I'm sorry for the delay. Here's chapter 17. Oh, and one last thing, a lot of people apologised for constantly bringing up corrections. Honestly, we don't mind constructive criticism and would appreciate any help you want to give us. What I complained about was the fact that people were bring up one or two typos we made. Guys, these chapters are huge. For me, anyway, and its tedious having to read over them about 5 times. I know I'm gonna miss a few typos and mistakes, so just tone it down a little, that's all I meant. Thanks to all those who reviewed last chapter! You guys are awesome! Oh, and to those who didn't…. we know where you live…..enjoy!**

**Plushie: This chapter is a pretty good one. -nods- You'll see what I mean. And to compliment what claro said above, yeah, I think i've said already that we have to read the chapters over and over again until we can't stand the sight of them. Both of us are very tired, very stressed out, so please, listen to what she said, eh? We love all of you for reviewing, I mean, I know I have NEVER gotten so many reviews for a fic before in the first 20 chapters. I don't know about smart alec above me. XP she probably has. -ducks under the spinning axe- ANYWAY, hope you enjoy this chapter and thankyou!! **

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 17: The loss of control**_

Zoro was dumbstruck as Sanji set the plate in front of him. Nami was smiling proudly. She was so happy! She had to restrain herself from hugging Zoro and Luffy, and instead satisfied her craving to praise them by making a comment.

"Oh did they?" and her smile doubled in size, "A good promise I hope." and she winked.

"Yep!" Luffy replied, nodding ferociously before his eyes closed in delight, "It's a secret!" And Nami chuckled at that. Zoro looked vaguely embarrassed, but it was hard to tell as his face was fairly parallel to the table beneath it. Luffy's stomach growled loudly, but he ignored it, not so much as even looking at the food in front of him. Giving Luffy a light shove with his elbow, Zoro nodded his head towards the food.

"Eat it," he commented as he glanced at Sanji, "He'll get mad." Sanji threw Zoro a sarcastic glance before looking back to Luffy again.

"Not hungry Luffy?" he asked, shooting another quick amused glare at Zoro, who smirked back at him.

"Oh, but I'm not allowed-"

The boys sentence was cut short as Nami pressed a finger to his lips to silence him.

"In Gramps' house, you're not allowed, but you're in our house. Remember what we said before?" she spoke softly, "You can eat whatever you want whenever you want."

Luffy's blank expression slowly melted into a happy smile which widened into a grin as he nodded. That made lots of sense. He was in Nami's and Sanji's and Zoro's house now, so he followed _their_ rules _and_ Gramps, but some rules clashed, so when he was in their house he followed them in the clashing rules, and when he's with Gramps he follows Gramps' rules! Yep! He understood now!

Slowly he nodded and just like the other day, dug into his food like a ravenous beast, using nothing but his hands. Once again, the other three occupants of the house were put off their food and decided to leave theirs in the fridge for later, but didn't really mind. It was good to see the kid eating and he needed it more to bring up his strength to fight the sickness.

"Put the plate in the sink when you're done please" Nami smiled.

"Aren't we going to put it in the machine where the little men wash it?" Luffy asked, blinking curiously before he licked his hand and swiped it over the top of his head like a cat. Zoro raised an eyebrow and glanced at Nami and Sanji again. What the hell did the kid thinking he was doing?

"In the sink first." Nami replied, still eyeing him.

"'Kay." Luffy nodded and got up, taking his plate with him and padding over to the sink. Carefully placing the plate on the sink, he trotted back over and dropped himself into the chair, squirming around until he had both feet on the edge, and his knees were showing over the top of the table. He then continued his 'grooming', swiping his hand over his hair like a cat, and then licking it some more. It was a… strange sight to say the least. Sighing, Nami shrugged, thinking that this was simple another quirk that they would have to deal with.

"Um… Luffy? Why are you-" and Sanji coughed to hide that question before continuing, "What are you doing?"

"Cleaning…" Luffy replied happily as he began licking his forearm. Zoro blinked, confused.

"Cleaning?" he asked, a little concerned. He hoped Luffy didn't clean anything else like that… Nodding, Luffy grinned up at him, hand poised in the air in front of him while his tongue was still poking out of his mouth.

"Yeah. Gramps made me share his cat's dinner, and then we all cleaned together. The kitties taught me how, and they used to clean me too sometimes, but only when they were in a good mood." he explained as though it were perfectly normal for a human to do things like that. It was true though, Luffy had been raised partially by cats really. He'd spent his whole life with them, and the cats had treated him like one of their own. Snuggling with him, grooming him, and playing games with him. It was the only game Luffy was allowed to play, and Luffy didn't even know it was one. He just thought it was life.

"Oh… how… umm…" Zoro began but couldn't bring himself to say 'nice', because it wasn't. It wasn't nice that Luffy's grandfather had made him do that, and it wasn't nice that Luffy had been brought up by cats. To tell the truth, it was a little horrifying, and a little unbelievable.

"Luffy," Sanji sighed, shaking his head, "kid, you're not a cat. If you want to clean, you go to the bathroom and use the shower." Luffy looked at Sanji, finished for now and gripping the front of the chair with his hands, sitting exactly like a cat would and leaning over the table precariously.

"But I can only use the shower now and again!" he whined, upset that he'd been interrupted from his 'grooming'. Nami rolled her eyes and smiled a little.

"You can use it whenever you want to." she replied, not knowing the diverse affect this had on the boy sitting across the table from her. He blinked slowly before a wide grin spread across his face.

"Yahoo!!" he cried, making Zoro yelp and jump, before he ran out of the room and scrambled up the stairs, bolting for the bathroom and undressing at the same time. Articles of baggy clothing flew around the hall and he was naked before he even reached the bathroom door. Not bothering to shut it, he jumped into the shower… and paused.

"Sanjiiiii?" he called. Sanji blinked up the stairs as he heard his name being called.

"Yeah?" he responded.

"Can I have a hot shower any time?"

"Uh… yeah!" and Sanji snorted a little. Luffy really was going to take some getting used to.

"Yahooooo!" and then the water was turned on and Luffy was heard as he giggled and splashed around. Zoro turned half lidded eyes on Sanji.

"You do realize he's going to be in there for hours now… right?" he inquired, a smirk on his face as he remembered his own experience. _He'd_ spent nearly half the day in there before Sanji had stormed in and practically pried him out of it. That was back when Sanji had been really mean to him. And… when Nami and Sanji had worked too. They didn't go anywhere anymore… they were always with him. And now Luffy.

"Fuck…" Sanji swore, letting his head drop forward onto the table. He'd just made another mistake. All thought in Zoro's head… went out the window. His green eyes widened as he flinched and began to tremble. That word… Alvida… at the circus… Zoro felt his hands clenching painfully on the sides of the chair, but couldn't force them to let go. Nami whacked Sanji over the back of the head, and the blonde yelped before looking up at Zoro, who was obviously having another panic attack. And the day had been going so well…

"Hey, moss-head, calm down. Deep breaths…" he said slowly. He had no idea why Zoro was so adverse to that word in particular. The Marimo had no problem with anything else. It was just the 'f' word, and when he'd asked Nami, she hadn't been able to tell him either. But it had become an unwritten rule that they weren't to say that word in the house anymore, or at least not in earshot of Zoro. And he'd just broken that rule. Zoro clenched his jaw before letting out a weird sort of choked noise before bolting from the room. Letting out a sigh, Nami stood.

"Damn… why'd you do that?" she growled at Sanji before hurrying out after the teen. Sanji sighed and clenched his fists on the table, his eyes narrowing and his teeth grinding together.

"Deep breaths Sanji… deep breaths… don't lose it…" he muttered to himself, heaving in and out until he managed to calm down enough to pick up the plates on the table and put the leftovers away for later. Suddenly, he didn't feel like eating anymore either. He really didn't like it when Nami got angry with him, but… he couldn't help it. It'd slipped out.

Nami found Zoro hiding in the downstairs bathroom, crouched in a corner and unseeing until she'd calmed him down by stroking his hair, and comforting him in any way she thought possible. After he was calmed, she sent him upstairs and went back into the kitchen to find Sanji was gone. 

---

The last few days… had been hell. For Sanji at least.

After Nami had made the mistake of telling Luffy he could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, the boy had gone ape. He'd totally lost it! No longer would he spend long periods of time just sleeping, he would bolt around the house, looking at everything and touching it, and accidentally breaking a lot of things. He'd run around testing machines and then leaving them on so they ended up going out of control.

The damn kid was ALWAYS in the shower, and even Zoro was a little miffed at that, but, he would never say anything. Zoro was too quiet to complain. But, that wasn't the worst part. It was the fact that Nami told Luffy not to clean up his own messes, but asked Sanji to do it! It was like she was trying to spoil the little brat! Now, for a while, the blonde didn't have any problems doing this. He was angry, yes, annoyed, yes, but… he could handle it.

He was Sanji!

Cool, suave, even tempered… most times. Another annoying task Sanji had been left with, was teaching Luffy how to eat properly. Zoro was at least trying to help, but, at times the green head just made matters worse. Especially when he told Luffy that if he wasn't careful, the knife would cut him. They'd spent the rest of the afternoon simply trying to calm Luffy down, let alone trying to tell him that the knife wasn't actually alive, and it wasn't going to kill him. And, to make matters worse, he'd run out of cigarettes! Nami wouldn't let him get anymore, saying that he needed to learn to deal with this without their aid.

Lack of nicotine, stress, fatigue… it was all catching up with Sanji, and on the day that Luffy had accidentally made the biggest mess… he finally lost it.

Having turned the water on in the bathroom, Luffy had been distracted by something Zoro had pulled out of his cupboard and had fallen over with, causing whatever it was to go 'crash!' and that had led Luffy to run from the bathroom to see what it was. Of course, the water had filled up the bath, and having no overflow precaution, had in fact overflowed, flooding the bathroom, and then flooding the carpet outside the doorway. Going into full blown hysterics at this, Nami had pulled Luffy away and ordered a shocked, (and very, very grumpy Sanji) to clean it up. And that's when the shit hit the fan.

"Why the fuck should I clean up after him!?" Sanji yelled, totally losing his grip on what little patience was left inside him. Nami looked at him with wide eyes, never having heard Sanji lose his temper like that before. Zoro, who had been in his room, winced at the word, but he was too overwhelmed by shock to notice it too much.

"Why the hell is it my job!? It's his mess! Let him clean it up! Or at least get Zoro to do something!" Sanji continued, his eyes wild. Zoro frowned sadly. So… nice Sanji had been too good to be true after all. He should have known that the blonde had only been pretending… Hurrying out, he took Luffy from Nami and then shut his bedroom door, calming Luffy, who had been quite startled by Sanji's sudden change of temperament while listening to Sanji rave, and Nami trying to calm him down.

Zoro closed his eyes, flinching at the words Sanji was using, and knowing that everything was going to go back to how it was before. Finally, Nami had had enough and she grabbed onto Sanji's arm and dragged him down stairs into the kitchen, closing the door after them and forcing the blonde into a chair where he dropped his head into his hands and sat there, trembling with anger. His own fingers laced through his hair and began tugging at it gently, clenching and unclenching. It would have been enough to make Nami sigh in pity, if she hadn't been so mad.

"Sanji! What the hell is wrong with you!? We're trying to teach Luffy NOT to be so obsessive about the things his grandfather MADE him do! And damnit! You said fuck around Zoro… AGAIN!" and she crossed her arms, waiting for the response. But what Sanji did… shocked her beyond anything she had ever heard, or seen before. The chef slammed his hands down so hard on the table, that the resulting crack made Nami jump. And when his eyes turned to glare at her, they were no longer sweet and charming, but cold and ice-like. The blue gaze piercing her like a dagger.

"So FUCKING what if I did!? Am I supposed to hold my tongue in my own house!? Luffy made the damn mess! Let him clean it up! They're adults damn it, Nami! Not babies!" He yelled back at her. Nami was shocked for a moment before her face darkened and she slammed her own hands down on the table, but Sanji wasn't fazed by it in the least. He was stressed… and he couldn't control himself. He'd had enough!

"Damn it Sanji! What the hell is wrong with you!? We're trying to make them believe they're human! Not frigging trash that can be thrown around, yelled at and… SWORE at!" she replied in a high pitched voice. Sanji scoffed angrily and shook his head.

"I didn't choose for it to be like this!! _You _asked if we could KEEP Zoro, like some sort of fucked up PET! _Then _you insist on having Luffy, and bossing me around like some sort of slave! I damn well support us! I pay for this house, and cook, and clean- what the hell do you want from me?" he asked, a hint of pleading in his desperately angry voice. Nami was so angry that tears were welling in her eyes and she couldn't bear to look at Sanji's face anymore.

"Zoro and Luffy need a home Sanji!" she began, turning back to him as the tears finally released themselves from her eyes, "They can't be left on the damn streets! Or in those… places!" and she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down as her hands shook on the table, "I'm sorry Sanji, if I bossed you around, but damn it… Luffy needs to learn he's not going to get into trouble for lifting a finger the wrong way!" Her eyes narrowed to thin slits.

"Stop being so selfish." she finished in a harsh whisper. Sanji snorted and spun away from her, putting a hand on his hip and running a hand through his hair as he laughed humourlessly.

"Selfish…" he muttered before lowering his head so far that his bangs covered his eyes completely, "Okay, they need a home… yeah…" and he gave another short humourless chuckle, "guess it's me or them then huh?" Turning, he brushed past Nami and opened the door again, moving out into the corridor and grabbing his coat from the clothes stand and slipping on his shoes. Nami followed him out, her eyes pleading.

"What about Zoro and Luffy?" she asked softly, trying to make him see reason. Sanji spun so fast, his hands clenched in the air beside his face, looking as though he were going to shout before he let out a heavy breath and stared at her, his eyes dull.

"What about us?" he asked in an equally quiet voice, "You're quick to forget, Nami-san, the hurt we've suffered because of our generosity…" and he walked out, closing the door quietly behind him, having more affect on Nami than he could ever have had if he slammed it. The red head was left to stare at the door, the silence ringing around her.

---

The hours rolled by and by the time it reached one in the morning, Nami found herself in bed alone. Luffy was asleep in Zoro's bed, and the green haired teen was asleep on the floor beside him. Zoro hadn't let Luffy go out of his room, fearing that the boy would only make matters worse, and Nami hadn't forced her presence on them. She'd simply gone to bed and lay there. Sometimes crying, sometimes just thinking or lying there listlessly, until she'd fallen asleep.

Sanji stumbled up their path to the front door, struggling to get the key in the lock and swearing, swaying and glaring before he finally managed to unlock the door. He stumbled in, not bothering to take off his shoes, or coat, and letting the door shut behind him with a dull thud. Stumbling his way into the kitchen, he didn't even bother to turn on the light as he blinked at the kitchen. Shafts of moonlight were filtering through the window, and that was enough for him.

Nami didn't wake, but Zoro's green eyes snapped open as he heard and felt the thud and vibration of the door shutting. His eyes were wide in the darkness, but he didn't move a muscle. Sanji yelling at Nami, or anything in general was bad enough… Sanji yelling at him made him incredibly guilty. Especially seeing as his name had been mentioned as the cause for a few things in the cooks rant. No… he would just lay here and hope that Nami could fix everything.

Meanwhile, Sanji had located the pots and pans and was crashing them around, pausing every now and again to shush his growling stomach. He was so hungry… Luffy didn't hear a thing, he was that asleep, but Zoro flinched a little on the floor and rolled over to look at the door, watching it. He hadn't slept with the door shut for a long, long time. It was unnerving, but, Sanji had to be kept out. That was the only thing that his mind was telling him right now. Sanji MUST stay out. Nami blinked awake on her bed and sat up, rubbing blearily at her tired eyes.

"Sanji…" she whispered, her eyes widening as she got out of bed and hurried down the stairs.

The chef was very drunk, and he was still very angry, but Nami had only ever seen the 'funny' drunk Sanji, so she immediately assumed he'd be happy to see her. A little perverted and horny maybe, but, she'd dealt with that before. Sanji was trying to crack an egg open, but, when it just wouldn't, he gave up.

"Fuckin' fucked up egg…" he growled, tossing it to the side and not caring that it smashed against the wall and went all over the bench top. Nami appeared in the doorway and identified Sanji's shadowy form.

"Sanji?" she called, flicking the light on as she walked in. Sanji let out a heavy sigh.

"F'ck off… dun wanna talk to you…" he growled, struggling with some other food wrappers, trying to open them and slurring heavily. Nami flinched at that but continued forward. Okay… so Sanji was a little grumpy. Not to mention hungry.

"Sanji… you're drunk." She stated, smelling the alcohol even though she was still a fair way away from him.

"So fucking what??" Sanji hissed, turning to glare at her and swaying dangerously, "You get drunk and piss me off! I don't say a damn thing to you!"

"Sanji-kun… calm down…" Nami said quietly, holding her hands out in front of her in a calming gesture. The blonde snorted and swayed again, but stopped himself before he fell over.

"Or what? You won't have sex with me? Not as if tha's a problem! I go without, 28 fucking days of the bastard month!" and he glared at her before once again trying to open a packet of what looked like rice, his fingers fumbling over the top of it as he tried to grip it, and failed.

Zoro, who had heard Nami go downstairs, had finally braved his fear of Sanji and had crept to the edge of the top of the stairs, crouching and listening. He was shaking from Sanji's swearing and yelling, but, his interest in the conversation was overwhelming him. And his shock. He'd never heard Sanji speak to Nami in the way he was now. It was really quite frightening.

"What the hell!?" Nami finally returned, annoyed at his drunkeness, and his rudeness, "Sanji, what the fuck is wrong with you? You're acting like a goddamn asshole!"

Zoro gasped softly, but put a hand over his mouth. That had been the first time he'd heard Nami say that word… and it was even more frightening than when Sanji said it. Luffy, having felt the absence of his friend, had padded out after Zoro, and was now leaning against the older teen's shoulder, half awake, half asleep.

"Maybe I'm just sick of it! Sick of you! Sick of Zoro! Sick of Luffy and this whole fucked up life!" and he paused to give a short humourless laugh, "Hey, listen Nami-SAN… FUCK!! Hah! I said it! Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck!!!"

Nami blanched at this. Zoro let out a loud gasp despite his hand, and jumped backwards, stepping on Luffy who squeaked before Zoro grabbed a hold of him and hurried into his room. Closing the door, and flicking the light on, he pushed his shoulder against it. Just in case. Something about Sanji was really scaring him right now. Luffy was yawning, and blinking up at him, not really sure what was happening but, knew it must have been bad for Zoro to be acting like this.

Sanji had turned back to the stove, trying to cook himself something as if nothing had ever happened. Nami frowned.

"Sanji, damn it, stop trying to cook. You're going to burn yourself." She said softly, taking his shoulders and trying to pull him away. He shoved Nami away and glared at her.

"DON'T tell me what to do! I'm sick of you telling me what to do." he replied, turning back to the stove and swaying some more.

"Please, Sanji, you're going to get hurt." Nami insisted, once again taking his arm and gently trying to pull him away. Bumping his hip against Nami softly, he successfully got her to release him, not nearly as nasty as he had been a minute ago.

"Cookin's m'thing. Dun tell me when 'r how ta cook. You c'n control everythin' else, but tha's mine…" he replied, his voice tired.

Nami reached down and flicked the stove off, hoping Sanji wouldn't notice, and the chef didn't. He was too focused on the package in his hands, glaring at it with eyes that promised it much pain if it didn't open right now! Nami slowly removed his coat and he shrugged out of it. Throwing it over a chair, she took his arms again.

"Come on Sanji. You can cook in the morning." and she tugged him away more forcefully, "You need sleep. Come on."

"Fuck it." Sanji muttered, tossing the packet away from him uncaringly so it landed on the floor before stumbling after Nami, staggering left and right and practically having to crawl up the stairs. Zoro looked back from where he was listening to Sanji's uneven steps, as he heard Luffy shift a little, but the boy seemed wide awake and alert, tuned into Zoro's alertness.

"Come on Sanji…" Nami said softly, feeling sorry for the blonde despite his condition.

Finally, they stumbled into their bedroom and the blonde flopped onto the bed, his eyes closed and already half asleep as Nami tugged his shoes off and placed them on the floor quietly. The chef was breathing a little heavily as Nami tugged the covers out from underneath him.

"Nami…! Nami-san… I can't… do it an'more!" and he shook his head slowly from left to right, "It's too much!"

"Shh, what Sanji?" Nami asked a little absently as she pushed one of his long legs underneath the duvet.

"They're not _my_ kids! …my kid……my kid's dead…" he replied, his voice catching as he laid an arm over his face and let out a shuddering breath. Nami stopped cold, and turned her eyes on him slowly.

"W-what?" she whispered before she shook her head, dismissing it as nonsense and concentrating on the task of getting Sanji's long limbs under the covers, "Be quiet, or you're going to wake the other two up."

She was annoyed, and hurt that Sanji was acting this way. Maybe she had been a little hard on him, expecting him to forgive and forget everything so soon. He'd been acting so… normal really. Well, except for the whole thing with being nice to Zoro, but, other than that, he was fine! Or so she had thought…

"Dun' care… he killed m'kid Nami! Taking care of him killed m'kid… too much fuckin' stress." Zoro, who was listening at the door, only heard half the conversation. He heard 'killed my kid. He killed my kid.' and the rest was too quiet for him to make out. Nami pulled the covers up to his waist and began tugging gently at his tie, loosening it even though her eyes were burning. That really had hurt Sanji… she hadn't realized… 

"Don't talk rubbish…" she dismissed it again, glancing at the door and hoping to god that they hadn't woken the other two up. Though, with all the noise, she wouldn't be surprised. Sanji shook his head again, his arm still over his eyes and not even aware of the fact that Nami was taking his tie and shirt off.

"Zoro… fuck it… why'd you get so stressed ov'r him Nami?" he asked, his voice slurred before he rolled over, snoring softly and drifting off to sleep, "…I's gonna be a dad…" Nami sighed as she sat down on the edge of the bed and brushed his hair off of his face, revealing both eyes which were shut in sleep.

"Oh Sanji-kun… I'm sorry…" she whispered, her heart breaking. Sanji had been so strong. She'd had no idea how he'd felt, but then, she hadn't really taken the time to ask back then…

Zoro reeled away from the door, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. He… kid…He killed Sanji's kid? Shaking his head, Zoro started to tremble, taking another hesitant step back from the door.

"But… I…" he whispered before finally hitting a wall and sliding down it, dropping his head into his hands and shaking as his eyes burned. This… this couldn't be happening! But… it made sense. Nami and Sanji not going to work anymore, Nami's sadness, the massive change in Sanji - it made sense now!

"Zoro?" Luffy asked, crouching in front of him, "I… don't understand…"

The boy knew something was wrong, from the way Zoro was shaking like a leaf. But he hadn't heard what Sanji was saying. Zoro curled up as tight as he could go, holding his head tightly and taking shuddering breaths as tears leaked out of his eyes.

------------------------------------

**Clarobell: Oki, so there you have it. Cliff hanger! MrahaahahaAAAAAAAAA –is pushed off cliff to hang there herself– Don't forget to review!! I hope this chapter answered a few of those questions that we couldn't earlier on!**

**Plushie: -pulls claro up again and then runs away and hides behind a house- Don't forget to review!! -runs away from the flaming arrows- **


	18. Mistakes

**Plushie: Hey guys. Sorry about the lack of chapter last week, but Claro wasn't well, and I wasn't exactly on top of the moon myself. May not be a chapter next week, depending on how stressed out we are, or whether we've done some correcting and such. It's not because we aren't getting enough reviews, it's just it's hard for Claro and I to sort out things at the moment.**

Clarobell: Also apologies from me guys. It's really my fault this time. There's a hell of a lo of crap going om in both mine and Plushie's lives, so we're doing our best ok? Please don't stop reviewing, just because we didn't post every week. Reviews are pretty much the only thing giving me the boost I need to keep working on any of my fics right now.

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 18: Mistakes**_

After a few minutes of silent shaking, and of Luffy asking what was wrong, Zoro finally wiped the tears away, his eyes red. He had to get out of here. He had to go. He'd killed Sanji's kid and now the cook _hated_ him! He could forget his life here, because he knew they'd never forgive him, not after what he'd done!

"We have to go Luffy…" he said, standing up, "We have to leave…"

"But why?" the younger boy asked, tilting his head.

"Don't ask questions, just come on!" Zoro growled, turning to the door and opening it silently, flicking off the light before stepping out, not worrying about food, clothes, or anything.

He needed to get out of here… now. Nami and Sanji didn't want him, or Luffy. That was blatantly obvious from Sanji's rant and they would be better off without them. Luffy ducked his head quickly, not used to Zoro growling at him like that, and obediently followed after him. The older teen slipped on his shoes at the front door, and Luffy followed suit before the green haired teen opened the door silently, blinking in the cold air that swept in. Not thinking straight he didn't even stop to grab a coat before slipping out the door.

"Let's go." he whispered, shivering. Luffy followed him out silently, not making a sound.

Grabbing the door, Zoro slowly closed it and sighed when it clicked shut. That was it… Frowning in determination, he hurried out onto the road and crossed it.

"Come on Luffy." he said, breath coming out in small white puffs that shone in the moonlight. The younger boy ran after him as Zoro picked up his pace, disappearing into an alleyway and not looking back once.

---

Sanji lay sprawled across the whole bed, snoring loudly and completely out to the world. Nami was sitting on the bed beside him, her eyes drooping tiredly as she yawned. She'd been awake all night, making sure Sanji wouldn't throw up and choke himself. She was just thinking about getting up and going to check on Luffy and Zoro when the cook finally did what she'd been waiting for, but hoping wouldn't happen. He coughed once, then twice and heaved a little until Nami rolled him over onto his side.

"Oh damn…" she muttered to herself, pushing her gag reflex to the back of her mind as Sanji coughed some more and then heaved, throwing up everything in his stomach before groaning and curling in on himself, his eyes clenched shut. Nami wrinkled her nose and closed her own eyes, rubbing his back at the same time.

"Stupid…" she sighed. Sanji gave a weak cough.

"N-Nami-san?" he asked weakly, before coughing again. Nami nodded even though she knew Sanji couldn't see it.

"Yes, I'm here Sanji." She replied, rubbing his arm and trying to comfort him.

"Head… ugh…" Sanji groaned, curling in on himself more and not caring that he was getting sick all over himself. Nami wrinkled her nose in disgust, closing her eyes away from the sight. Frowning a little, she felt like she wanted to say something like 'serves you right', but, found she just didn't have the heart to do so.

"It's okay Sanji…" she whispered, rubbing his back and shoulders.

"W-What… don't remember…" he croaked. Nami rolled her eyes.

"Typical." She muttered, "Don't worry Sanji… they were asleep… actually," and she paused, "Luffy should be awake by now, or at least Zoro…" and she entertained thoughts of leaving Sanji here and going to check on them. But, the cook stumbled off the bed, and headed for the door, still shirtless. He stumbled into the hall and headed for the bathroom, smacking into the walls more than once. Nami sighed, shaking her head before heading for Zoro's room and peeking in. It was empty.

"Hmm… must be downstairs." she muttered.

Sanji reached the bathroom, and just made it to the toilet before dropping to his knees and throwing up spectacularly. Nami heard it and shook her head again, but at least she knew he'd be alright there for now. A sense of foreboding was creeping up on her. Moving down the stairs, she looked around and couldn't hear anything other than Sanji's retching.

"Zoro?" she called, "Luffy?"

Nami was about to head into the kitchen when she heard a dull 'thunk' that announced Sanji must have passed out and hit his head on something. She hoped it wasn't the bath… that would hurt. Running back upstairs, she hurried into the bathroom and saw Sanji _had _hit his head on the bath and now had a quickly swelling spot on the side of his head as he lay unconscious on the floor.

"Oh Sanji…" she sighed and looping her arms under his, she dragged him up and pulled him into the nearest room, which just happened to be Zoro's which was still all torn up, but at least it didn't smell like sick. Once she was sure Sanji was out for the count, and wouldn't be throwing up again, she left him on the bed and then hurried back downstairs, growing increasingly unnerved by the silence in the house.

"Luffy?" she called, poking her head into the kitchen, but couldn't see anything and then she spotted the clothes horse. Moving over, she looked down and Luffy and Zoro's shoes were gone.

"…oh no…" she whispered. Zoro had been awake… he had heard… Oh god no…

---

Luffy shivered as he leaned against the wall, wrapping his arms around himself and pulling his hat (which he had grabbed just before coming out of Zoro's room) down more firmly on his head. Zoro hadn't said another word since they had stopped here an hour or so ago. There was a purple tinge to the horizon, that was slowly turning orange as the sun began to rise. He was shivering as well, but he was so emotionally exhausted that he really didn't notice.

_It's my fault…_ the green haired teen kept thinking. It was the only thought that would go through his head. He'd caused Sanji and Nami's sadness. Luffy sneezed and whimpered a little, trying to huddle tighter in on himself, but finding it near impossible.

"Z-Zoro, I'm c-cold…" Luffy said, his teeth chattering. The older teen glanced at Luffy, shivering himself.

"N-no use c-complaining about it. Nami and S-Sanji… don't want us anymore…" he replied, his breath coming out as sharp little wisps of smoke as he bowed his head. Luffy's eyes began to well up with tears.

"L-Like G-Gramps?" he asked softly. Zoro shook his head and smiled.

"No… n-not like Gramps…t-they just c-can't deal with us…" he replied, shivering and hunkering down beside the dumpster they'd been using for shelter, "C-come here…"

Luffy scooted over, not protesting as he was that depressed and that cold, nothing mattered anymore. He felt so tired, and all heavy again. Grabbing Luffy, Zoro pressed him to his chest, so cold that he couldn't even feel the boy there. He wrapped his arms around the younger teen, and huddled down, trying to keep the smaller boy warm and also trying to draw something from Luffy's body heat. Any other time he would have hated the contact, but now they were all each other had.

"B-but, what ab-bout Z-Zoro?" Luffy chattered, his eyes drooping. Zoro shook his head.

"Don't worry about me… b-been in colder places than this." he replied, keeping his teeth from chattering and trying to sound strong so Luffy wouldn't feel scared. Actually, he hadn't been in colder places at all. He was often in the cold at the orphanage due to it's general shabbines... but it had been a while since he had been _there_ and Luffy looked so much worse than he did right now.

"Tired…" Luffy sighed.

"S-Sleep then." Zoro replied, tightening his grip as Luffy leaned back against him fully.

"…'kay."

A few hours later found Luffy asleep and Zoro drifting on the edge of consciousness. He sighed and blinked awake again, shaking his head a little and realizing that neither of them were shivering anymore.

"Luffy…" he called softly, expecting the boy to shift in his arms, but he didn't even get a moan or a twitch. Looking down, he jostled his arm a little, "Hey…"

The younger boy was floppy, and totally unresponsive to Zoro's movement. His face was beet red, and when Zoro pressed an ice cold hand to Luffy's forehead, he felt that the kid was burning up. No wonder he suddenly felt so much warmer! The fever had returned, and it was much worse than what it had been before. Panic began to rise in his chest.

"Luffy?" he asked again, a little desperately as he shook the dark haired boy some more, hoping he would wake up, groan, do anything. No… Luffy stayed still, "Come on… wake up…" He'd caused this. He'd caused Nami and Sanji's pain, and now he'd made Luffy sick. What else could he do wrong!? He'd been so stupid! He was at least wearing warm clothes, while Luffy was still dressed in the thin things he'd been wearing to bed!

"Luffy!?" he called desperately before looking around. He was shaking and it had nothing to do with the cold.

---

Nearby, a familiar long nosed, knife throwing, story telling Usopp, was taking Chopper the performing reindeer for a walk. It was so cold, that the long nose had a large, squishy jacket on, while Chopper had a soft woollen coat on over his real fur. They were nice and warm, walking in the weak morning sunlight. The little reindeer's head perked and his ears twitched as he stopped for a moment, before tugging on Usopp's leash.

"Hey, what are ya doin' Chopper?" Usopp asked before the reindeer snorted and dragged the long nose forward, "Wha!" He was pulled across the road, down the street and then around a corner until Chopper slowed and Usopp looked up to see Zoro and Luffy sitting beside a dumpster. Zoro looked like he was almost in hysterics. He was shaking Luffy roughly, looking around and calling out the boy's name repeatedly. Chopper let out a soft snort and trotted over, nudging Luffy's head gently and then licking him.

"Hey, it's you guys!" Usopp stated as he moved after the reindeer. Zoro jerked Luffy away, his eyes wide and panicked. He was feeling very protective of the younger boy, and he only remembered these two vaguely. Chopper tilted his head, looking down at them with pity before settling himself down beside them, leaning close to Zoro, but not touching, as he tried to convey his body heat to them. Usopp bent down and waved a little in front of Zoro's face.

"Remember us?" he asked, tilting his head. Zoro stared up at him, his eyes wide, before he relaxed a little and looked down at Luffy again.

"I-something's wrong… I… I don't know what to do!" he said as he blinked down at Luffy sadly. Chopper snorted again, standing up suddenly and stamping his front hooves, almost as if panicking. Zoro jerked away again.

"W-What!?" he cried, not knowing what the heck was up with this reindeer.

"Looks like he thinks something is up." Usopp said, narrowing his eyes at Chopper who kept prancing from one foot to the other, "What's up with Luffy?"

"I… don't know! He's so hot…" Zoro panicked.

Chopper snorted harder and stomped his hooves on the ground, eyes glaring down the alleyway. There was a soft chuckle and then a person stepped out of the shadows… but that didn't make him any less frightening. In fact, he seemed even more so, as the shadows clung to odd places on his body, and made him look absolutely horrifying.

"Well, well, well…" and the man smirked as his glasses flashed in the sunlight. Luffy let out a soft groan as he was jostled by Zoro, and his head lolled back against the green haired man's wildly heaving chest. He was out of it completely, and looking very vulnerable and weak. Usopp frowned, feeling a shiver of fear run down his spine.

"Kuro…" he muttered. The man moving towards them gave a mock gasp as he smirked, the light hitting his glasses at such an angle that it hid his eyes.

"You remember me?" and his smirk dropped into a dangerous frown, "How touching…"

Chopper was tilting his head forward, antlers facing Kuro directly as he pawed the ground, his hooves clicking as he tried to release himself from the leash Usopp was holding solidly. Zoro was watching all of this taking place, trying to push himself back even further against the wall. He had no idea what was going on, but damn it, he was scared. Usopp smirked, feeling brave behind an angry reindeer. Especially one like Chopper, who was stronger and tougher than he looked.

"You better watch out, I might let him off his leash." Usopp threatened, silently cursing the light tremor that crept into his voice. Kuro laughed; a cold and uncaring gesture.

"Oh, I'm not worried…" and he began approaching them, a glove with a sword on each finger, glinting as it was pulled onto Kuro's hand, "Not at all…" and he continued to advance on them slowly.

"What's going on back here!?" a loud voice yelled, and Kuro suddenly disappeared, slinking back into the shadows with an angry scowl on his face at being interrupted, as if he'd never been there. Usopp thought he saw a flash of metal at the end of the dark alleyway, but he wasn't sure.

"You are in direct violation of the law!" another, female voice cried as two police officers appeared around the corner and stood in the entrance to the alleyway. The larger of the two was male, and he had silvery white hair that was combed back in a spiked fashion. He was wearing a navy shirt that was in danger of ripping across his broad chest, a pair of black pants and a pair of stark white gloves. On the left side of his shirt, there was a glinting gold badge that proved he was a police officer, and a set of stripes on both his shoulders showed that he was higher up in Rank than the woman standing beside him.

She was slight, and had a pair of large glasses on. She was wearing a navy blue shirt as well, plus the badge, and she was holding a gun out in front of her. A firm, but not tight black skirt that went to her knees, and the lack of three of the stripes that were on her superior's shoulders, were the only differences between their uniforms. Her hair was so dark, it was almost blue and around both their waists was a black utility belt. A baton, a gun, and a radio along with a heap of small, square pouches, adorned their belts.

A name badge above the police badge, announced that the woman's name was Sgt. L. Tashigi, and the man's badge read Capt. S. Smoker. The superior officer began moving down the alleyway towards them, having seen the little group from across the street and he was of the opinion they were doing drugs.

"You kids. What are you doing back here?" he asked as he advanced. Chopper had calmed and was blinking down at Zoro, who was shaking and hanging onto Luffy for dear life, his eyes clenched shut. Usopp turned, a large smile plastered on his face.

"Nothing officer… we just came… to find our friends who got lost from the circus! They're really cold, so, we should get them back now. Thanks!" the performer grinned widely, hoping his story would come through for him. Tashigi frowned as she looked down at Zoro and Luffy.

"I don't remember ever seeing them at the circus, boss." she muttered, her eyes narrowed behind her large glasses. Usopp sweated a little.

"You got ID?" Captain Smoker barked. Zoro just clenched his arms tighter, hanging onto Luffy for dear life. The smaller boy groaned, and began to pant, the heat beginning to get too much for him. Smoker's eyes narrowed.

"That one taken anything? And don't play dumb with me boy, you know what I mean." he growled, gesturing at Luffy. Zoro didn't even hear him, his eyes were clenched completely shut and he was shaking so hard that Luffy was shaking as well. Usopp frowned.

"I beg your pardon sir! But, we are not druggo's!" and he quailed a little under the intense glare Smoker gave him in return.

Chopper lifted his lip a little at the policeman, and backed behind Usopp, hiding. Smoker's gaze was redrawn to Luffy when the boy groaned and began to pant faster, Zoro hanging onto him tightly as he desperately tried to stop himself from running. Frowning, the female officer knelt down beside Zoro and Luffy and inspected them carefully, her dark blue eyes surveying the two and trying to spot anything that didn't seem… well… not normal. The fact that Zoro was shaking like a leaf, and Luffy was panting like a dog, didn't seem to be enough for her.

"Sir, I don't think it's drugs…" she said, twisting a little to look up at her superior.

The older man grunted and walked over to her, towering over Zoro, who felt the shadow fall over him, and ducked his head down further, eyes still clenched shut and jaw tight. Poor Luffy was being hugged so tight, it was surprising that he hadn't been ripped in half.

"…get…away…" Zoro choked out, trying to defend himself and ultimately failing. He was too scared to do anything. Useless… Usopp looked down at Zoro and Luffy, his brows furrowing in concern. Zoro looked about ready to pass out and Luffy was gasping for air, his face glowing red.

"Excuse me sir? Could you move away from him…?" Usopp asked, scared but finding some strength from the fact that Smoker was a policeman… and most likely not inclined to hurt him. Protection came in the form of a reindeer, when Chopper dived out from behind Usopp and stood in front of Zoro and Luffy, protecting them and glaring up at Smoker. Tashigi peered at the reindeer a moment before standing up again, placing a hand on her hip.

"Sir, I don't think these kids are drug addicts. I think they're genuinely cold, sir." she said, blinking up at her superior, "The smaller one looks sick…"

Smoker grunted again, almost doubtfully, before he turned to Usopp who quailed a little.

"What the hell are they doing out here anyway? That one looks about ready to give up." Smoker commented, jerking his head at Luffy. Usopp formulated a lie in his quick mind and shrugged.

"They got lost when we went to the shopping centre, and-" but he was cut off, as Zoro leapt to his feet. He'd had enough. He wasn't going to wait around to get beaten. And that policeman looked like he would punch his lights out easily enough. And the girl... the girl. Zoro's eyes widened to incredibly as he looked at her. Tashigi blinked right back at him, her own eyes slightly wide. Zoro opened his mouth as if to say something before he suddenly choked and whimpered at the same time before he realised that if he stuck around... something bad was going to happen. And soon.

So, Zoro bolted, taking Luffy with him.

"Sir!" Tashigi cried and took after him. Chopper was quicker though, running after Zoro and dragging Usopp along with him.

"Gyah! Not again!" Usopp cried as he was suddenly pulled away, and had to force his legs to keep under him so he could run, but keeping up with Chopper was hard. Smoker's eyes narrowed as he followed Tashigi, and they ran for a while before Smoker spotted Zoro in the distance, long gone. He slowed to a halt and Tashigi stopped beside him, panting slightly.

"Let's go Tashigi. There are still criminals out there. We don't have time for some kids." he growled, a little annoyed that Zoro had gotten away. Tashigi nodded, snapping her heels together sharply.

"Yes sir." the two turned and continued their rounds in a different direction. Zoro kept running, not even knowing where he was going. All he knew is that he had to get away, and he had to get away NOW! Taking another corner, he could hear clicking footsteps behind him that sounded like an animal. The noise just scared him further and he dodged around another corner, Luffy wheezing harshly in his arms as the boy was jostled around. Usopp was puffing and running out of breath quickly. How could Zoro run that fast?! He could run, but nowhere near as fast as that! He sighed in relief when he saw the big top in the distance.

"He's heading for the circus, Chopper." he said, but was surprised as the reindeer snorted and bumped to the right, knocking the teen onto his back and then picking up speed, now that he didn't have Usopp to slow him down.

"Yikes!" Usopp cried as he gripped Chopper's fur to hang on. Zoro was about to turn another corner when Luffy's head fell back against him, his eyes wide and mouth open and gaping as he gasped for air, but didn't seem to be getting any, so he just gasped harder. Zoro skidded to a stop and looked down, his own breathing ragged.

"Damnit…" he muttered, relaxing his hold so Luffy could breathe, _What the hell have I done?_ "Luffy?"

Chopper caught up to him and stood nearby, panting slightly and snorting, ready to continue if Zoro should run again, but the reindeer could sense that the green haired teen was more interested in Luffy right now. Luffy was taking short, gasping breaths, desperately trying to get air into his lungs while sweat fairly poured off of him. Zoro began to panic again, his breathing quick and sharp from his run.

"Luffy? What do we do?" he asked, jostling the boy a little. Usopp popped his head up and blinked at them.

"He looks like he needs a bed." he provided. Zoro looked down at him again, his eyes still wide.

"Do you have one?" the older teen asked, relaxing his hold on Luffy so the boy could breathe. Getting off of Chopper, Usopp nodded.

"Yeah, at the circus. Come on!" and he hurried towards the gates to the circus, which were still closed as it was only about seven or eight in the morning. Zoro looked at it doubtfully, until Chopper butted the backs of his legs very lightly, trying to nudge him in the right direction. Jumping a little at the contact, he moved towards the gates. Usopp held open the gate that was reserved only for people who worked at the circus, and waited until Zoro had gotten through with Luffy, and Chopper had hurried in after them.

The reindeer was keeping as close to Zoro as he was permitted, his eyes watching them both worriedly. Leading the way into the tent, Usopp took them to a small room that was off the side of the arena. It was reserved for if, or when, someone got hurt while doing a performance in the ring. It was equipped with a bed and some basic first aid supplies, and Zoro lay Luffy down on it immediately.

"There." he sighed as he leant away again. Luffy let out a harsh cough and groaned pitifully. Chopper rested his head on the bed beside Luffy's head, his nose barely touching the boy's skin before he pulled away and snorted, shaking his head and stamping one of his front hooves.

"What's up with him?" Zoro asked, staring at the reindeer. Usopp shrugged, not paying attention to Chopper as he felt Luffy's forehead.

"Whoa… he's hot!" Usopp said, about to pull back again, but his watch caught on a thread of the thin pyjama jacket Zoro was wearing and it was pulled back to reveal a flash of something that looked like writing. Blinking, the performer pulled the jacket off, glad Zoro was really too distracted by Luffy to care, "How about I take this off?" and he smiled, folding it over his arm so he didn't look suspicious.

"Chopper, can you get some more blankets please?" he asked.

Zoro's eyes were purely focused on Luffy, and he kept twisting his hands anxiously, placing them in his pockets and then pulling them out again. Having figured out from their first meeting, that Zoro was a bit panicky when it came to things that were uncomfortable for him, and now knowing full well that Zoro was capable of bolting, and possibly much worse, Usopp peeked at the jacket when he wasn't looking.

_Roronoa Zoro, 18. In case of emergency, please call this number. _And the number followed. Usopp blinked at it for a minute and then looked back to see Chopper laying on the floor next to Luffy's bed and looking up at Zoro, who was obviously ignoring him. The green haired man sat down against the wall, and seemed to be thinking deeply. Frowning a little, Usopp threw his hands up in fake exasperation.

"I'll get the blankets myself then…" he said and walked out.

Chopper blinked after him, but stayed put. Heading straight for a phone, Usopp remembered Zoro talking to Luffy about a woman named 'Nami' and saying that she'd look after them. She was the one he had to contact then. Nodding decisively to himself, Usopp picked up the phone and without even hesitating, dialled the number. It rang once, before it was picked up and a male voice answered.

"Hello? Zoro?" it asked. The man sounded sick almost, but he also sounded worried and panicked. Usopp thought Nami was a female… but… whatever. This guy sounded like he knew who Zoro was anyway.

"Ah, no. This is Usopp! Nice to meet you!" and he grinned for a moment before he remembered his purpose, "Umm, I found Zoro and Luffy. They're here at the circus. Luffy's really sick." There was a soft but sharp intake of breath.

"Shit… Where are you? I'll drive there now." the man asked quickly.

"Oh uhh… I work at the circus. I've got Luffy and Zoro in the circus med-room. You could probably see the tent from around two miles away. We're set up in Loom Park. I'll wait for you at the gate!"

Usopp hung the phone up after hearing a reply from the man on the other end and hurried back into the room.

"Okay, your friends are on their way. He sounded really worried, and he won't be long I don't think." Usopp said. Zoro's eyes, which were slipping closed as sleep tried to take over him, widened impossibly big and he stared at Usopp.

"What…?" he asked slowly. Sanji… that's who it would have been. How had Usopp managed…? And then Zoro saw his jacket over the long nosed teen's arm. That's how. Getting to his feet, Zoro glowered darkly at him and Usopp wavered, not sure if he had done the right thing.

"Your friends, they're on their way." Usopp repeated a little unsurely. Zoro moved over to him, and his eyes were angry, but almost pleading.

"How the hell… how could you… why didn't you ask first!?" the older teen cried, his fists clenched. In fact, he would have probably hit Usopp if he didn't know better. He couldn't face Sanji and Nami. Not now. Not ever. Usopp shrunk down, scared by this sudden change. Luffy's eyes slitted open on the bed and he spotted a green sort of blur nearby.

"Z-Zo…" he began but couldn't finish it as pain wracked his chest and he moaned, clenching his eyes shut again. The pain from before was back with double the intensity and he wondered what he must have done wrong to deserve a pain this bad. He could hardly breathe and everything was so _hot_!

Zoro was seething, his eyes dark as he took deep, soothing breaths. Usopp had seen that Zoro got grumpy... but this was unexpected. Very unexpected. The performer grit his teeth, forcing the tremble out of his voice as he looked up at the burning green eyes.

"Luffy needs help! I have to meet them at the gate!" and Usopp scrambled out, stopped only as Zoro grabbed his shoulder and gripped it hard before letting him go. The poor, frightened long nose fairly bolted to the gate outside.

---

"Right, thanks." Sanji muttered as he slammed the phone down, letting out a sigh of relief before he turned away, swaying a little at the dizziness that hit him like a ton of bricks, "Nami-san!" and he winced at his own loud voice, "We found them!" and he headed for the door.

Nami ran in from the kitchen, where she had been pawing over maps to see which possible directions they could have taken to run away to. If she knew Zoro, then, he would wander for a while, get panicked and run, and then once he was in a new place, would hide somewhere, and most likely take Luffy with him.

"Oh thank Christ for that. Where are they?" she asked as she hurried to the front door. Sanji snorted, putting a hand to his aching forehead as he stepped out, shoes already on.

"They ran away to the circus." and he strode over to the car and slid into the driver's seat. Nami blinked, wondering if he was joking before she hurried after him, sliding into the passenger side. Normally, she would have said something about Sanji still being drunk, but, after last night… she wasn't so sure. Narrowing his eyes, Sanji sighed miserably and got out.

"You'll have to drive Nami-san. I'm still drunk." he said and Nami let out a sigh of relief and quickly got out and slid into the driver's seat.

--- 

Zoro was panicking, having a mental debate with himself as it were. Luffy was so vulnerable, and sick, and he wanted to make sure the kid was okay. He _owed_ it to him, since it was his fault for making him run away with him in the first place… on the other hand, the reindeer looked like it actually knew what it was doing, as it tugged blankets over the boy and then trotted around and nudged them over a little, trotting back to the other side and pulling them down. It was a little strange, but, Zoro had to admit, the little reindeer was cute, and he did look smart. He wondered if he could leave Luffy in the care of the reindeer and that long nose guy and run before his 'friends' got here, but then, he hardly knew them, and Luffy might get scared if he were left by himself… but… Sanji and Nami were coming… they'd help Luffy, and he knew that if he stayed here, Sanji was only going to get angrier with him. It was his fault that Luffy had gotten sick again and he would surely be blamed for it.

_I can make sure Luffy's okay, and then leave. Luffy'll be fine with them. I can go somewhere on my own… I can look after myself. ... And if I died, it'd probably be better anyway... At least Sanji would be rid of me. _

He had no idea where he was going to go, but, he was sure he could find somewhere where he could hide… and if not, then, he would go to another town. He would go as far away from them as he could, so he could never cause problems again. Luffy coughed, his eyes watering as his arms groped, trying to catch the older teen's hand, desperate for some kind of contact to ease his pain.

"Z…ro…" he coughed harshly, his chest flaring again. The green haired man looked down at Luffy and his eyes filled with pity and guilt as he knelt down beside the smaller boy.

"Hey buddy, you're gonna be okay now. Nami and-" but he couldn't bring himself to Sanji's name, "Nami's on her way. She'll look after you." he said. Luffy hiccupped as he shook his head.

"No… want Zoro…" he mumbled, his voice weak and wheezy. Zoro grimaced as he felt his heart throb.

---

Sanji buckled himself in and leaned his head against the cool window, closing his eyes. Nami had told him what he'd done… and he'd never felt so lousy in all his life. He had no right to say anything like that… especially not around someone like Zoro. He wasn't sure about Luffy, but… he knew Zoro was more fragile than he looked. And possibly Luffy was the same. Oh god, how could he have done something like that!? Nami backed the car into the road and swung the wheel around, the car turning easily.

"Is Luffy okay?" she asked as she pressed her foot onto the accelerator and the car leapt forward.

Glancing at Sanji, Nami felt a sense of pity, and anger. She would never ever say it, but, this was partially his fault. It was partially her fault too though. She'd been so intent on trying to keep Zoro and now Luffy, together and trying to help them recover, that she hadn't even noticed Sanji. Hadn't noticed how much losing the baby had affected him. And how she had been treating him exactly as he had said… like a slave. It was a grounding thought, and she gripped the wheel a little tighter.

"He's sick." Sanji mumbled out, his eyes still closed. He hadn't looked at Nami since she spoke to him. And then, once she had started, she had just got angry, which had only made it worse. Nami let out a small hiss.

"Damn…" and she frowned as she glanced at the side-view mirror, "His fever must have come back."

Why hadn't she checked on Luffy and Zoro as SOON as Sanji had fallen asleep! She could have prevented them from running away! Or at least tried! Sanji let out a small sigh against the window. This was his fault entirely. Zoro probably hated him, and to be blunt, Sanji didn't blame him. He'd hate himself too… if he didn't hate himself so much already.

---

**Clarobell: Thanks to all who have reviewed. Honestly, we are working on the review replies. Hope you enjoyed.**

**Plushie: Alright, well, don't forget to review!! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far!! **


	19. Pneumonia

**Clarobell: Thanks once again to all who reviewed! A reviewer asked why Zoro doesn't get sick when Luffy does. Well, to answer that question, Luffy has hardly had any nutritional intake. The only reason he hasn't been sick until now is because he spent most of his life indoors. Zoro, over the last year, has had Nami and Sanji boosting his immune system. Also, major apologies for not updating in so long. We came across some pretty bad errors in the plot that would have messed up the fic later. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Again, apologies for the wait.**

**Plushie: Apologies. :) ... don't kill us. -cringes- **

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 19: Pneumonia **_

Zoro shook his head, looking down at Luffy with pity in his dark eyes. He was having a hard time trying to convince Luffy that he couldn't stay. He'd done everything wrong. Messed up Sanji and Nami's life... and now he'd made Luffy sicker than any dog. Guilt was crashing down on him, making his head hurt and pound.

"I-I can't stay Luffy. You'll be better off without me." he said, tryng to keep the trembling to a minimum so he sounded strong for Luffy's sake. Luffy's breath hitched and his fingers scrabbled to get a hold of Zoro.

"N-no…" Luffy gasped.

The older teen tried desperately to fend off Luffy's 'grabby' attacks, but ultimately failed as the thin, shaking and hot fingers clasped his forearms and held him still, eyes that were glazed and unfocused, looking up at him sadly. Luffy didn't want Zoro to leave! He was so scared… and his chest hurt… and his body hurt… and everything was horrible!

"Damn it Luffy! I can't stay here!" and he stood up, shaking Luffy's weak arms off of him. The boy sobbed harder as Zoro turned to walk away. The older teen's own eyes were burning from frustration, stress, and his own mind telling him that he was a complete idiot. He probably was… but he had to get away.

The sound of retching reached his ears, and he looked back to see Luffy being sick off the side of the bed, and Chopper leaping out of the way. The reindeer wrinkled its nose and snorted softly, obviously showing disgust, but also looking like it was pitying the boy. Luffy made another struggling attempt at following Zoro, but instead fell off the bed and straight into the pile of sick. Zoro wrinkled his nose in total disgust, and pushed his gag reflex back.

"Damn it…" he sighed angrily, before moving over and picking his younger friend up, placing him back on the bed and making sure he was steady. Frowning, Zoro glared down at Luffy, "See? See what happens when you follow me? Bad things happen. Now stay there." and he turned to leave again. Luffy shuddered, too weak and pale to do anything anymore. He didn't want Zoro to leave… he needed him… Why couldn't Zoro see that?

---

"Is that it?" Nami's voice drew Sanji out of his stupor, in which he was hoping to God that his two boys were okay. After Nami had miscarried he didn't know what to do. He'd wanted so badly to mourn like Nami had, but then he saw Zoro, and it was as if he was seeing him, really seeing him for the first time. Before he'd looked on him as some kid; another boy his age, but at that moment, his love and devotion for his unborn son seemed to transfer into Zoro. Maybe it was a defence, something to hold him together, but whatever it was, it changed him for the better. Over the past months he'd grown increasingly close to Zoro and despite what he'd said last night in his drunken stupor, Sanji knew that he'd basically become Zoro and Luffy's surrogate father. More so to Zoro, because he'd been around him longer, but Luffy had attached himself to Sanji in a mere matter of weeks whereas it had taken Zoro a _long_ time to accept him even. It was a frightening concept, thinking of himself as a father to the two, but, Sanji was determined to make everything right again.

During those first months with Zoro, he'd been such a jerk. That was more than likely the cause for Zoro's general timid nature and sometimes fear around him. Now he'd really gone and done it though. Knowing Zoro like he knew him, the teen was probably blaming it all on himself but, that wasn't right. It was all Sanji's fault. He should have learned to keep his temper in check, or shouldn't have stopped in on that pub when he'd gone for a that walk to clear his head. He'd only meant to have a pint or two…but time seemed to slip away without him noticing and then everything was a blank. The cook didn't even remember leaving the pub let alone getting home and saying the things Nami said he did.

He blinked tired and miserable eyes open as a long nosed boy waved at them from behind the gate and beckoned them over. Zoro probably hated him... and most likely wanted to avoid Sanji for all he was worth. Frowning, Sanji knew what he had to do. Nami parked the car and got out, hurrying over to the gate that Usopp was holding open, but Sanji got there first. He slid through and Usopp pointed at the tent. Not even waiting for Nami, he strode off, eyes determined and one thought in his head.

"He's really hot… And he can hardly breathe for panting." Usopp said, describing Luffy's state after Nami questioned him. The red head hissed sharply and her strides became longer.

"Oh Luffy..." she muttered, worried.

---

Zoro was about to walk out when he heard something… the screech of a car… the gate clanging… silence… footsteps. His breath hitched as he recognised the beat. He knew that beat very, very well, and for the first few months he'd been living with Sanji and Nami, it had spelled trouble. That particular 'thump-thump' had only one meaning. Sanji meant business and was not pleased. Twisting his hands in his pyjama pants, Zoro fidgeted as he looked around himself.

"Damn…" he almost whined as his eyes darted around in search of an escape. Chopper was watching him, sensing the panic and wondering what there was to worry about. There was no escape. Only the one door and that led in the same direction that Sanji was obviously coming. He could rip the tent… and escape that way! No… he would get in more trouble for that. He had to hide… but there was nothing to hide under! Or behind! He was stuck.

"Double damn!" Zoro whined and then stopped as Sanji stepped into the room.

Trembling slightly at the look the blonde was giving him, Zoro moved backwards as Sanji moved towards him, eyes narrowed. When he ran out of room to back into, Zoro cowered, clenching his eyes closed and waiting for the blow he knew was coming. He blinked though when arms wrapped around his shoulders and Sanji buried his head in his shoulder.

"I am SO sorry Zoro…" the cook choked out, a harsh sob tearing from his throat, his voice thick with tears and regret.

Zoro stiffened a little, but he was too shocked and frightened by this sudden change of events. He thought for sure that Sanji would have beaten the hell out of him. He… made all this happen! It was his fault! And Sanji was saying sorry to _him?_ What the hell was going on here!? Nami entered then, Usopp behind her and she glanced over at Sanji. It was no surprise to her, she'd been expecting that from the moment she'd told Sanji about what he'd done.

Spotting Luffy, she made a beeline for him, careful to avoid the small puddle of vomit and brushing past Chopper who was eyeing everyone in the room, keeping watch over everything. He wasn't going to let anything get out of control right now. Usopp blinked at them, and had no clue what was going on.

Zoro, who hadn't moved to touch Sanji at all for fear of making the blonde angrier, or making him cry harder, just stood there. Shock had made every muscle in his body still, and he simply could not move. Sanji sniffed and pulled back, his eyes not meeting Zoro's and his head bowed, blonde bangs hanging over his eyes. Zoro was shocked to see the man he'd looked up to for the past 6 months that had helped him recover and always been so strong, the man he'd been so… scared of for most of his time with Nami and Sanji, was trembling. And for the first time ever, Zoro noticed how small, and lanky Sanji really was. The blonde's whole body was trembling, and his hands were shaking on Zoro's shoulders. It was incredible, to see such a change in someone that seemed so strong. It was a little frightening too.

"Don't EVER do that to me again! I…I was so worried damn it! I thought you'd gone and done something stupid… because of me…" and his head bowed sadly, his arms dropping from Zoro's shoulders to swing at his sides. The shock began to wear off, and Zoro ground his teeth together, his own eyes welling with tears, as much as he willed them not to. He didn't like seeing people cry, and it made it even worse because of the fact that it was _Sanji _crying.

As much as he hated to admit it, usually, it was him that would run crying to Sanji, not the other way around. He wasn't sure what to do… he was so confused. His head was spinning… and Sanji was shaking, and now he was shaking. He didn't want to talk, but he forced his lips apart. He made a small squeaky noise before clenching his eyes shut and shaking his head, as everything that had happened over the last day … crashed down onto him.

Clenching his fists, Zoro shook his head harder, pendants on his ear swinging wildly as the tears broke free from his eyes and poured down his cheeks. He sobbed harshly and vaguely saw Sanji lift his head a little. Usopp opened his mouth to speak, but Nami hit him on the arm, quieting him as she swiped her other hand across her face to rid it of any tears. Men…

"I-I'm sorry Sanji-san… I made Luffy sick… I… I did everything wrong!" and Zoro bit his lip, trying to stop himself, but he couldn't. He'd never cried this much in all his life, never _wanted _to cry this much. Actually, it really wasn't that often that he _did _cry. But... he'd been through so much over the last few days. A lack of sleep that he always had, wasn't helping matters either. He was relieved, he was scared, he was stressed… frustrated too.

Sanji was crying and shaking, and Zoro felt like the person whom he relied on to keep himself from breaking down... had left him... Raising a hand tiredly, Sanji ran it through Zoro's hair slowly, repeatedly, his head resting on the teen's shoulder as it pounded. He'd been so sure that Zoro would go and do something incredibly stupid… like killing himself. Sanji didn't know what he would have done then. It would have been like losing another son…

"It's ok… we'll get him better… you scared me so much." He whispered "I'm sorry Zoro. I didn't mean anything I said… I was too drunk for my own good." and he looked up, and Zoro got a close up of his carer's face. Sanji was unshaven, his hair was a mess, and his eyes were bloodshot. He was pale as death, and he was still trembling faintly.

Relaxing under the hand running through his hair, Zoro blinked down at him, and gave him a watery smile.

"You look like crap…" he announced. Sanji snorted and sobbed a little.

"You don't look much better yourself." he replied and Zoro snorted as well, "How's the kid?"

All eyes turned to Nami, who shook her head sadly. Luffy was no longer gasping… but was breathing so weakly that his chest was barely moving. Dark eyes were open, but, they were staring at the ceiling and were glazed and unfocused, completely unseeing.

"Not good," she replied, resting a hand on Luffy's forehead for a few seconds before softly running it through his hair, "I don't think we can move him. It would do more bad than good…do you think we could keep him here…um…"

Nami stopped, unable to come up with a name for the long nosed boy who had led them here. Usopp seemed to figure out what was wrong as he stuck out a hand with a small smile and a nod. "Usopp," He knew now was not a good time to put on one of his acts or stories "It's fine, he can stay here."

Nami took the offered hand and shook it lightly with her free hand, "Thank you, Usopp, but won't the circus be opening soon?"

"You're in luck," the performer smiled, "It's Sunday today the circus doesn't open until the evening."

Nami nodded and turned back to Luffy again.

"He looks really bad," she whispered, her eyes darting over the boy's flushed features, "Okay, Usopp, you go and fetch some fresh water and a cloth, Sanji go with him and grab the mop and bucket to clean up this mess, Zoro…"

The green haired teen turned to her as Sanji and Usopp moved from the room to get the items requested and Nami sighed as she took in his bedraggled appearance. "Come here…" and Zoro moved forward slowly at the soft command, stiffening only slightly as Nami wrapped her arms around him and ran soft fingers through his hair "It's okay, he's gonna be okay, but he needs you now, so stay close."

Nodding, Zoro moved over to the bed and hesitantly crawled onto it, wincing as the old mattress creaked with the extra weight, even though it wasn't much. He settled on the bed gingerly, sitting cross legged next to Luffy and leaning his back against the wall as he tentatively reached out, waving a hand in front of the younger boy's face.

"C-Can he hear me…?" he asked quietly, cursing himself inwardly for the stutter.

"I don't know." Nami replied honestly, offering Sanji a small smile as he came back in the room and quickly mopped up the batch of sick before moving back out. Usopp entered a few seconds later with a basin full of water and a large cloth. He set it down on the small table beside the bed, brushing the few books and trinkets aside before squeezing the cloth of excess moisture and placing it on Luffy's forehead, watching as the boy groaned slightly and his eyes slid closed.

Zoro continued to watch and soon Sanji walked back in, sighing as he sat at the foot of the bed. Nami stared at him for a few seconds before slowly moving to sit beside him, taking one of his shaking hands in her own as they all watched their newest family member gasp softly for air.

Slowly the minutes ticked by, and they all took it in turns to watch over Luffy. Sanji slept for an hour or so but Zoro wouldn't take his eyes from Luffy's still form, watching the slow and shallow rise and fall of the boy's chest. The minutes turned into hours, and by the late afternoon, Nami was chewing her lip with worry. The room had fallen silent as they listened to it's sick occupant's raspy breaths until finally Nami spoke up.

"He's not getting better." she stated, looked up at Sanji, "I think… he might have pneumonia."

Zoro looked between them, worriedly. No matter what Sanji said, it was still his fault for getting Luffy into this mess. He didn't need to bring the boy with him... he'd just been too weak to leave by himself. Poor Luffy. The kid should have never been dragged into this mess. Unsure as to what Nami was talking about though, the green haired teen narrowed his eyes a little.

"What's that?" he asked as he gazed down at Luffy's flushed face. Usopp looked up at Zoro, and thought the simplest explanation would be easiest.

"It's a really bad cold. It could… kill him." Usopp replied and Zoro's eyes widened. Sanji clicked his fingers over Luffy's face.

"Kid? Hey, Luffy?" and he clicked again, but couldn't get Luffy's attention. In the last hour he'd woken again, but his eyes had been dull and hazey. They were closed down to little slits, and his mouth was open, small breaths being taken in and out. Sanji swore and pulled the compress away, laying a hand on Luffy's head before pulling it away quickly and turning to Nami.

"We have to get him cooler, and _now_!" he said in a worried tone. His voice was strong again, his fear for Luffy's life kicking all thoughts of his headache from his mind. They'd only checked his temperature an hour ago – how did it shoot up so fast?! Usopp thought for a moment before clapping his hands once.

"I know!" and he ran out. Nami shook her head a little sadly.

"Not just cooler… Sanji… he needs a hospital." she said, knowing what that could possibly mean.

Zoro watched all three of them carefully, not understanding what this 'hospital' place meant. He'd never been to one of those. While Chopper watched everyone in the room, Zoro pondered the 'hospital'. Was it a bad place? Nami and Sanji didn't seem to like it, so it must have been. The little reindeer's eyes would linger on Luffy, then turn to Nami, then Sanji and last of all Zoro, before going back to Luffy again. Chopper had positioned himself at the end of the bed, that way he got a clear view of everyone.

"Damn it… Nami-san, his body… they'll think-"

"There's nothing we can do about it! He could die!" Nami snapped, shaking her head.

She was worried that's exactly what would happen. She didn't think that any of them could take loosing Luffy now. Especially Zoro. The green haired teen had bowed his head, and was putting his hands in his pockets, pulling them out, twisting them and then putting them back in again. He repeated this process about ten times before Usopp ran back in, a hand towel wrapped around a block of ice around the size of half a brick. He dipped the towel in the water they'd been using to rinse Luffy's cold compress for the past few hours for a second, and then handed it to Nami, who took it gratefully and laid it over Luffy's forehead, rubbing it gently over his face. Carefully bending down, Sanji lifted Luffy into his arms and grimacing at the now-dried sick all over him. 

"You don't have to come if you don't want to Zoro…" The cook said, but he had a feeling he already knew the answer to that. He was rewarded when Zoro's head snapped up and he blinked at them in surprise, hands pulling out of his pockets to twist in the material of his pyjama pants like a little kid.

"No… I want to come! Luffy…" and he trailed off, staring at the boy in Sanji's arms. Nami nodded in understanding.

"We don't have time…"

"Can we come too?" Usopp asked, feeling a little protective and worried about the person he had helped save.

"Yes, hurry!" Nami said irritably as they went out to the car. Zoro was right beside Sanji the whole time, his eyes on Luffy's face. Sliding into the back seat, Zoro held out his arms for the boy, and Sanji gently laid him down.

"Careful with his head." the chef muttered and Zoro nodded, cradling Luffy against his chest and holding the boy's head to his shoulder, ignoring the lingering smell of sick even though Nami had wiped it all off before they came out of the tent.

_Nami looked up as Zoro moved down the stairs, Luffy in his arms. Pausing in the lounge room door, Zoro looked around for somewhere to put him, but couldn__'__t find anywhere so he decided to settle into one of the single lounge chairs and lay Luffy across his lap, legs hanging over the edge while his head rested on the armrest. A small smile tugged at Zoro__'__s lips as he watched Luffy snuggle against the cushiony, plushie material. _

Sanji shut the door and quickly slid into the seat in front of Zoro. Nami dropped into the driver's seat and started the car even before all of her was inside. Usopp had gotten into the back seat beside Zoro, and Chopper had leapt in onto his lap. Zoro shifted a little and gripped Luffy's hand with his own.

"_Okay! I__'__ll stay with Zoro because Zoro__'__s cool! Ne Zoro?__"__ and he resisted the urge to simply jump on Zoro, glomping him effectively then and there, and instead took hold of Zoro__'__s hand, tugging it from his pocket and intertwining his fingers with Zoro's._

Luffy's hand stayed lax in Zoro's, and the older teen closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again and looking down at Luffy sadly.

"Come on Luffy…" he muttered, tears welling up in his eyes. He was surprised he could cry this much in one day, "I…need you… I really do! I've gotten so much better since meeting you!" and he grit his teeth. Luffy couldn't die… not now. Not when Luffy had helped him so much…

"_Can I hug you Zoro?__"__ he asked, not looking back at where he knew Zoro was… just waiting for an answer. He didn__'__t want to spoil the hug he was getting from Nami, if he tried to hug Zoro and got rejected… again. Zoro blinked for a moment and then shifted his eyes to the floor, thinking. Nami knew what the answer was going to be… and she had hoped to save Zoro the trouble._

"_Luffy, Zoro doesn__'__t like to be hu-__"__ she began but Zoro made a small noise._

"_Yes…__"__ he mumbled, blushing a little, but keeping his eyes focused on the ground. He let his arms fall to his sides as Luffy turned to him with the brightest smile he could muster. Nami had gone into shock, and her eyes looked like dinner plates they were that big. Moving away from Nami, Luffy stood in front of Zoro, who wouldn__'__t meet his eyes, his cheeks flushed red. Looking Zoro up and down, Luffy knew he had to be very careful about this. Slipping one arm around Zoro__'__s waist, he leaned his head on Zoro__'__s shoulder, so that way, Zoro wouldn__'__t feel trapped at all._

_Grinning happily, and feeling very proud of himself, Luffy snuggled his head on Zoro__'__s shoulder even more. The older teen had briefly tensed at the contact, before he found that… he was being hugged, but… he wasn__'__t feeling anything! Hey… this was nice. Smiling in a relieved way, Zoro looked down at the top of Luffy__'__s head. Briefly, he wondered if maybe… Luffy was the one person he would ever trust enough to get close to him._

Luffy didn't respond at all, and his head lolled forward a little, leaning against Zoro's chest so all Zoro could see was the top of his hair. Reaching beside him, Zoro picked up the straw hat he'd been watching for the past few hours and laid it on its owner's head, smiling sadly at how right it looked there, how it made look as if Luffy was just… sleeping. Sanji twisted in his seat and looked back at them, his heart breaking at the sight of Luffy, and the expression on Zoro's face. Chopper the reindeer had settled himself on Usopp's lap, and was watching miserably, his small head tilted while the pink hat on his head drooped along with his ears.

"How's he doing? Have you got a reaction?" the cook finally asked and Zoro shook his head, eyes never leaving Luffy's face. Usopp himself was holding back tears, not sure what was going on, but, the atmosphere in the car was all sentimental, and it was getting to him. Frowning, Nami pushed the car harder. No way in hell was she going to lose another one…

---

It was silent. The room they were in was sterile white, and on the walls around them were pictures of beautiful country scenes, depicting sunny days with families on picnics. Some even had a dog running around somewhere in it. A fireplace was built into the far wall, but, it was unlit and didn't look like it had ever, and nor _would _it ever, be lit. The chairs were large, and were covered with blue velvet material, squishy and comfortable to sit in.

On a small coffee table in the middle of the room was a stack of old, and much used magazines, their pages ripped and torn from too many fingers flicking through them in agitation. Over in the corner, was an open doorway that led down a small hall to the bathrooms while the entrance to the room was almost opposite it. Silence rang through the room as Sanji kept his head in his hands, leaning over his knees in one of the two person lounge chairs. He hadn't spoken at all since asking Zoro if he'd gotten Luffy to react. In a single chair beside him sat Zoro, who was staring at the grey carpeted floor, eyes unmoving.

The only movement he'd made since he got in here, was to blink. Nothing more. He'd realized, now that everything had calmed, it was all his fault. He knew it was his fault before… but now, it seemed so much more real. Potentially… he could have killed Luffy. Nami was leaning against Sanji's other side, one arm around him while she watched the door, waiting for the doctor to come back in.

Thinking along similar lines to Zoro, was Sanji. He knew everything was his fault. If he hadn't lost his cool, then none of this would have happened. If he'd kept his big mouth shut! Then he wouldn't have blown up, wouldn't have argued and gotten drunk and ultimately... Zoro would have been none the wiser about what happened. One day the Marimo probably would have figured it out, but, by then Sanji had been hoping to be over Nami's miscarriage. Sighing slightly, he pushed his head further into his hands as he thought about the consequences of _his _actions, no one else's. How the fuck could he have blamed Zoro for something like that...? God... he really was a bastard...

Usopp was outside, animals not being allowed in the hospital, Chopper had been tied up and as his dedicated carer, Usopp was watching over him. A tall man walked in wearing a khaki coloured shirt and a black tie, black pants and a long, white coat. Straightening his half moon glasses, he peered down at them. He had greying brown hair, and he looked like a kindly man.

"Are you the guardians of Monkey D Luffy?" he asked softly. He had a quiet voice, and it sounded as kindly as his face looked. Sanji looked up.

"That's us…" he replied. The doctor peered down at them in pity as he sighed. Zoro was blinking up at him as well, but wasn't game to say anything.

_That guy looks weird… _he thought, looking the man up and down. He had to withhold a smile too. The guy looked funny in his white coat and everything, with that weird looking rubber and metal snake around his neck. So this was what doctors looked like, eh? Well... he couldn't say he was impressed.

"Is he alright?" Nami asked sharply, fearing the worst when the doctor didn't say anything more. If Luffy was bad... She didn't like to think how it would affect Sanji, and Zoro.

"He's… in bad condition, but he'll live. He has pneumonia, and his lungs are infected badly." he replied, "I'm Doctor Leith, and I'll be looking after him until he gets better." and he smiled. Nami sighed miserably as Sanji's head dropped back into his hands. Zoro bowed his head, twitching and flinching a little as a rattling trolley rolled past. Dr. Leith frowned a little and adjusted his glasses, clearing his throat.

"I wanted to ask, Luffy, has strange marks all over his body." and he looked back down at them, "Did you know that?" and he seemed to genuinely feel angry about this. It wasn't just a doctor front.

"Yes… he…he recently moved in with us. His grandfather was very abusive towards him." Sanji explained, nodding. Nami added her own nod, agreeing with Sanji. Zoro frowned slightly to himself. He understood that Sanji had to reply to this guy, but, what right did this 'Doctor Leith' have to ask about Luffy like that?

"Alright then…" and Leith eyed Zoro as the boy flinched again, and trembled slightly as a family with squealing kids hurried past, "Well, he's sleeping now, but, in about another half an hour, he should be awake enough for you to go and see him." and he nodded and walked out. Zoro watched the doctor as he walked away before he looked over as Sanji gave a sigh of relief and leant back. He still looked like hell, no matter how many times he'd washed his face in the sink in the men's toilets.

"See…it's okay. As long as Luffy stays quiet, and still, everything will be fine." Nami whispered, reassuring the blonde with a gentle rub to his back. Zoro looked between them and then noticed Sanji's hands, which were twitching almost like spiders. The blonde was dying for a cigarette, and he was tired. His head wouldn't quit either. It just kept pounding! Standing up, Zoro looked around.

"I'll go tell Usopp." he said, finding the room a little too stuffy for him to bear anymore. Walking away, Zoro successfully went into the… door that led to the bathrooms. Blinking at the tiled walls, he tilted his head a little.

"Eh?" he noised before turning and walking out, looking around again and then moving out the real door. Sanji, who had been watching Zoro like a hawk as soon as the teen had stood, smirked.

"Silly marimo…" Sanji chuckled lightly, just loud enough for Zoro to hear.

The teen looked back in the door, raising an eyebrow at him before leaving completely. He paused for a moment and then spotted Chopper's pink hat through a window. He moved around until he could see more of the hat, and then found his way to the glass doors that led out to the entrance.

"Hey, he's alright." Zoro said, sticking his hands in his pockets and avoiding eye contact with the long nose as he approached him. Usopp smiled and sighed in relief as Chopper gave a small snort and visibly relaxed before he moved over and nudged Zoro's hand with his little blue nose. The teen looked down at him and then hesitantly raised a hand and gently laid his fingers on the reindeer's head. He wasn't used to animals. Gently moving his hand, Zoro smiled when Chopper made a small noise that definately sounded like pleasure. This creature really was quite cute. Once he had had enough, Zoro pulled his hand away and stuck it back into his pocket. Chopper tilted his head at the loss of attention and then moved back around to Usopp again, who gave another sigh of relief.

"Good… I was worried for a minute there…" and he looked up at Zoro, who was staring at the ground, "You okay?"

"Fine…" Zoro nodded and then smiled, "Thanks, ya know. For all your help." and he shrugged. Usopp grinned at the praise.

"It was the great Usopp-sama's pleasure!" he replied and Zoro quirked a small smile. Usopp smiled at Zoro and then decided that he would entertain Zoro with a short story if he could. Upon asking, Zoro narrowed his eyes at the weird request before nodding slowly and leaning against the wall with his arms crossed to listen. Despite trying to look like he wasn't interested, Zoro found himself enjoying it and Usopp smiled proudly when he saw the interest sparking in Zoro's eyes.

---

"Nami-san?" Sanji asked once Zoro was gone. He was bowing his head, letting his eyes focus on his hands and trying to force them to calm down.

"Hmm?" she replied, looking at him and waiting for him to continue. She had been beginning to wonder when he would start to talk to her again.

"I'm sorry… about last night…I just… I'm only 19 ya know? I didn't expect to have 18," and he paused and gave a soft laugh as he imagined Zoro sending a slight glare at him, "Ah, I made a mistake, 18 and three quarter, and 16 year old sons at this age…" he muttered, resting a hand on the one that was on his shoulder. Nami smiled at him and giggled a little. 

"It's… interesting to say the least. It's alright Sanji-kun, I shouldn't have bossed you around so much." and she gave him a quick kiss, "But, it's not like they're their proper ages… Mentally anyway."

"Yeah, they're little kids in big bodies." and he let out a sigh, "I wonder if they'll ever be able to lead a normal life? Zoro's coming along, but Luffy…" and he smirked, "Luffy thinks he's a damn cat." Sanji chuckled. Nami joined in.

"True…" and then her face became more serious, "I don't think they will Sanji… and… I get the feeling they'll need us most of their lives. That's… why I'm so adamant that we keep them with us. They'll get shifted around too much, won't be able to trust anyone anymore, and I don't think they'd find people like us, ever again… It's a rare opportunity, on their part, and on ours." Sanji nodded in agreement, and was silent for a moment. A few months back, he would have been horrified at the thought of having to look after Zoro and Luffy for the rest of their lives, but now, he just couldn't see life without either of them. Slowly he raised his head.

"Maybe… maybe when they get a bit better, we could," and he shifted a little before continuing, "maybe try again, ya know?" and he looked up at her hopefully. Nami smiled at him and laid her head on his shoulder. She knew exactly what he was taking about. Sanji had always loved the idea of being a daddy after all.

"I'd like that." she replied softly. Sanji sighed in relief and let his head fall a little sideways to rest against Nami's gently. Closing his eyes, the cook felt himself beginning to drift off to sleep.

-----------------------------------

**Clarobell: Bottom Comment! Rawr!**

**Plushie: ... yes... Erm, reviews please! Don't be put off by the fact we didn't update. We should be back to normal from here on out. -nods- To everyone who has reviewed, though we haven't replied, thankyou SO much! This fic wouldn't have been a success without you guys. -hugs yew all- **


	20. The Domino Effect

**Clarobell: Right, so here we are again. We managed to update on time. Now listen up guys. We need you to give us some support on this fic, as with all the stuff going on here with us, we're starting to lose the inspiration to write it. I haven't corrected a chapter in weeks. By no means will it be discontinued, its just, updates are going to get radically slow if I don't get back into a writing mood. We've only corrected to chapter 26, and this is chapter 20. You catch my drift? Thanks so much to all those reviewing, we really appreciate it! Please let us know what you think, so that we can make this fic great.**

**Plushie: She means greater. XP I think this chapter is one of my favourites. :D Hope you guys like it too, and I think it'll fill the request of one reviewer. -nods- She/He'll know what it is when they read. -nods again- **

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 20: The domino effect**_

Usopp and Chopper had left to go back to the circus after finding out that Luffy was going to be okay and Zoro had gone back in to find Nami and Sanji again. Though… he'd never been good with direction, and now he was wandering aimlessly down a sparkling white hall. Faintly, he could hear some shouting and rattling, but he thought he was moving away from it and not towards it. He turned a corner and was barged to the side as a man in a mint green nurse's shirt and matching pants, ran past with a stretcher trolley, a moaning patient on it.

"Where…?" Zoro muttered, forcing his heart to stop beating at a million miles an hour so he could look around.

On the wall there was a flashing red sign that said 'Emergency' and his head snapped around to spot a massive crowd of more of the green suited men. They barged past and Zoro looked left and right, panicking wildly as he couldn't see any escape. Pressing his back to the wall, he took deep, gasping breaths to try and steady himself, but it wasn't working.

Men and nurses were running everywhere now. There were shouts, moans of bleeding patients, the rattling of the stretcher trolleys. It was enough to send even a normal person into hysterics, let alone Zoro. Closing his eyes tightly, Zoro sank down the wall and clutched his own knees, trembling violently and heaving in loud gasps as the world spun around him.

Stopping nearby, was Doctor Leith, who had come down to make sure everything was going alright. Spotting Zoro, his eyes narrowed behind his half moon glasses as he remembered that he was one of the group that belonged with Luffy. This kid didn't look so good either. Slowly moving over, he crouched down beside Zoro, vaguely wondering why the boy was still in his pyjamas at this time of day. 

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked kindly.

Zoro's eyes snapped open and he began to back away, trembling and his eyes wide, pupils dilated with fear. Leith was a little surprised by the reaction, but at the same time he wasn't. He'd noticed the boy's general timidness and the way he flinched at loud noises, back in the waiting room when he'd reported to those others about Luffy. Grimacing a little, he watched as the boy continued to try and back away but just kept slipping on the floor.

"Leave me alone…" Zoro gasped, panting and trying to regain control, but he simply couldn't. He was taking deep breaths, he was doing what Sanji had said for him to do when this happened! Why wasn't it working!? These thoughts just made Zoro panic harder. Leith blinked at him for a moment and then laid a hand gently on Zoro's shoulder, frowning at the flinch that resulted from it.

"Come on now, it's ok, I won't hurt you. You're having a panic attack. I'll take you to a quiet room." Leith said, not knowing that he'd just done the worst thing possible to try and calm Zoro down. Jerking away from the touch, the green haired teen spun around and threw out a leg, trying to kick Leith away, but he had little luck. Having to deal with violent patients was a part of his job, and to increase his ability to continue doing his job effectively, Leith had taken Karate classes, and was a rather high grade.

He dodged the attack and pinned Zoro to the wall, yelling at a nearby nurse to get him a sedative, and fast. Not happy at all about being pinned, and panicking worse than ever, Zoro attempted to kick, punch and at times, even bite, his way out of Leith's hold, but to no avail. Pushing a strong arm against Zoro's chest, the doctor used his now free one to inject the needle, ignoring the growls and grunts from his captive.

Holding Zoro steady, Leith waited as the teen struggled worse and then his body slowed, his eyes glazing as the sedative took hold. As Zoro felt himself falling asleep, vaguely he wondered why Sanji wasn't here to stop this man from hurting him like this... Finally, he slumped against the wall, the only thing holding him up being Leith's arm and that was soon relaxed in favour of gripping the boy's shoulders so he didn't fall over and hit his head. Sighing deeply in relief, the doctor stood and bent, picking Zoro up easily. That blonde boy should still be in the waiting room. He would go back there.

---

After watching Nami leave to go to Luffy's ward, Sanji had fallen into a kind of half sleep. His head kept lolling but he would quickly bring it back up again and shake it. His headache hadn't quieted any and he still smelled like alcohol. The smell was even beginning to get to Sanji. He shifted into a more comfortable position and turned to look at the door as a man backed in, something in his arms. Narrowing his eyes a little as the familiar colour of Zoro's shoes came into view, the blonde watched as Leith lay whatever it was down on one of the other two person couches. Upon seeing Zoro's sleeping face, Sanji's eyes widened and he was at the doctor's side instantly, looking down at his friend worriedly.

"I-Is he okay? What happened?" Sanji asked, unnerved. Leith turned to him and frowned a little, adjusting his glasses and then sticking his hands into the pockets of his white jacket. He wasn't impressed by the way this man looked. And smelled...

"He had a panic attack." the doctor replied a little sourly and Sanji sighed, relaxing a little. He thought that maybe something really bad had happened to Zoro. Like he had gotten into an accident or something. Looking down at his friend, Sanji recognised the signs of sedation and inwardly sighed. So that's what Zoro would have looked like under sedation, eh? Now he knew why Nami didn't want them to do it when Zoro had his panic attacks. It wasn't very nice, forcing someone to sleep like that.

"Thank you for bringing him here." and the chef ran a hand through his hair as he looked away from Zoro to the man before him.

"You're welcome," Leith replied, inclining his head slightly before narrowing his eyes, "He lives with you, correct?"

"That's right. He gets like that sometimes…" Sanji responded, nodding as his own eyes narrowed suspiciously. Leith heaved a deep sigh. He hated this part of his job. But from what he had seen... Well, suffice it to say that Sanji wasn't giving off the best impression right now. And for someone like Zoro, he suspected that Sanji wasn't the best person to be looking after him and his needs.

"I don't think he's fit to live with you…" he said, and watched Sanji carefully as the blonde gaped at him for a moment before regaining his voice. He made a choked noise as the full meaning of the sentence hit home.

"W-WHAT!?" Sanji yelled, his eyes wide. He couldn't mean that they... they weren't going to take Zoro away!? He wouldn't allow it! He'd been worried they'd take Luffy, but not Zoro! Leith shook his head, peering at Sanji over the tops of his glasses.

"He seems to have a mental problem, correct? And from the looks of how he reacted in the hall out there, he's potentially violent, correct?" and Leith waited while Sanji stared at him in shock. It was one damn thing after a fucking 'nother!

"It's not that often!" and Sanji frowned, "Certain things trigger it- and he's been a hell of a lot better since he's been with us."

Pressing a hand to his head, Sanji tried to clear it. He wasn't thinking straight, and everything was just not making sense like it used to. Damn! Why the hell had he had so much to drink last night!? Leith narrowed his eyes. It was worse than he thought. He could smell the alcohol, and could see the way Sanji's hands were shaking with anger. Zoro needed someone who didn't react like this. But still... he wondered what the blonde boy meant by 'hell of a lot better since he's been with us'. Did that mean that the green haired boy had been worse before? _That _was a little hard to believe.

"How long has he been with you?" he asked, looking interested. He wasn't fazed in the slightest by Sanji's rising temper, and nor would he be. This kind of thing happened to him on a regular basis. Though it was strange that a nineteen year old boy, would be cared after by someone who was the same age as him. That was a little weird. In fact... it was the first case of its kind he'd ever encountered. Why would a nineteen year old boy, with a girlfriend, _want _to look after another boy the same age as him, and with a mental problem? That just didn't add up. Sanji shook his head, still trying to clear it as he sat down on the couch beside Zoro's legs.

"…about… 8 months maybe?" he finally replied, trying to add up the time. Leith hummed in thought. That was a long time, and it really didn't seem as if the boy was recovering properly at all. In fact, to him, it looked as if possibly Zoro was going backwards.

"Is he a family member?" Leith asked, one eyebrow raised. Maybe he could contact a more responsible family member about this matter. Someone as young and inexperienced as this one surely shouldn't be taking care of another?

"No…" the cook ground out through gritted teeth, "A friend."

"And might I know a number to contact his family?"

"He doesn't have any. He's an orphan."

"I see." the doctor muttered, sounding less than pleased as he narrowed his eyes at the blonde, "Sir, have you ever had experience with anyone before that had or has, a mental problem? Or anyone even _like_ him?" he inquired, jerking his head at Zoro, who was still totally out to it on the couch, his breathing heavy and regular, but quiet, showing that he'd been sedated. If Zoro was naturally asleep, he'd be snoring. Sanji growled angrily. What was with this guy and the word 'mental'? He seemed to like using it a lot, and it was pissing Sanji off even more. Leith had no right to refer to Zoro as 'mental', especially when the teen himself wasn't even able to defend his own mind.

"He doesn't have a 'mental problem', he went through some bad shit when he was a kid, and now he's a bit scared. We took him in because he didn't have a home. We don't 'care' for him, he lives with us!" Leith nodded, but not in understanding at all. He knew what had to be done here. Shaking his head and sighing, the doctor lowered his gaze to Sanji, who was pressing his hands against his head in frustration.

"The only plausible option I can see here is to have your friend stay here at the mental ward. I'll arrange for the papers to be filled out and write up a report explaining why I think this is necessary. In the meantime I suggest you try to clean up your act young man." Leith stated.

"W-What?!" Sanji hissed "You cant do that! He's almost 19! He makes his own damn decisions!"

"Actually, I can" the doctor replied, marking down some notes as his gaze flicked from the notepad to Zoro "From what you've told me, he seems to be mentally unstable due to past trauma and has a tendency to be violent. It's not safe to have somebody like that walking the streets."

"What? Somebody like _what_?!" the blonde seethed, "He's not a damn nutcase! He just gets scared! We're always with him so its not as if he can't be calmed!"

"Oh? You mean like when you were with him just now in the hallway when he attacked me?"

"He just went out for some fresh air! Probably got lost! He doesn't have-" but he'd just screwed that up too. He could tell from the look on Leith's face.

"No sense of direction eh? In that case, the boy definitely needs care."

"The 'boy' _has _care!"

"And I'm guessing that's you?" Leith questioned, looking over Sanji's appearance once again with distaste, "Do you normally let him run around in his pyjamas?"

"It's not…! You don't…! It wasn't…!"

"The papers should be complete within the next 48 hours and you will receive a phone call. Myself accompanied by some others will come and collect him in two days. Have his things ready. Only basic clothes please, nothing sharp or hard."

"You can't do this…" Sanji breathed, "You can't fucking _do this_!!"

"We'll take care of him over the course of about a month and a half." Leith continued in a steady and clam, but quiet voice, "I will arrange for you to attend classes on how to care for a patient such as your friend and if you can prove that you are fit to look after him during or after that time, then he will be put back under your care."

Sanji stood up quickly and glared down at Leith, fists clenched on either side as he gaped at the doctor before him. He couldn't be serious!? This… He'd just managed to get Zoro back, and now this bastard was going to take him away again! If Zoro couldn't stand up for himself, then Sanji was going to. He wasn't going to allow this bastard to take Zoro away. He had no right to! Though... Sanji couldn't find a logical excuse as to why Leith couldn't... and that's what pissed him off.

"WHAT!? No fucking way! He's 18! Almost 19! He can make his own damn decisions!" He repeated, too frizzled in the head to think straight.

"Sir," Leith said forcefully, unfazed by Sanji's anger, "please keep your voice down. There are sick people in this hospital, and they are not to be disturbed." and he frowned, "It is clearly apparent that he is not capable of looking after himself, and you can't look after him either, sir…" his voice trailed off as he looked Sanji up and down before he sighed sadly, "I'm sorry… that's all I'll say for now." and with that, the cause of Sanji's anger, left the room. That didn't stop the blonde chef from growling in frustration and gripping at his own hair though.

Tugging it harshly, Sanji gave a scream of frustration and slammed a fist into the wall over the top of Zoro and then clutched at his aching hand as tears of pain sprung to his eyes. Why had he done that? Everything else in his life was fucked, he didn't need a broken hand too! Groaning at the pain, he clutched his hand tightly to his chest and attempted to move his fingers. Good… it wasn't broken, but damn it hurt!

There were hurried footsteps as Nami ran back from Luffy's room, the boy still not awake. She'd heard the scream, and thinking that something bad had happened, had run back to see Leith turning a corner and moving out of sight. Poking her head into the waiting room, she saw Sanji facing away from her, and a large dent in the wall over one of the couches. She couldn't see Zoro's head over the tall armrest, and ran in.

"Sanji!?" she gasped and he turned slightly to see her, wincing in pain, "Why did you do that?" and she gently took his hand between her own two, rubbing fingers over the split knuckles and quickly swelling flesh.

"They're taking him away Nami-san…" he replied softly, biting his lip to stop himself from crying out in pain. His fingers throbbed painfully, and the wall was well and truly dented.

"What?" Nami asked, confused before turning to look behind her and spotting the sedated Zoro lying on the couch. Her eyes widened and she turned back to Sanji, "Why?!" Sanji shrugged and took his hand away from her again, cradling it against his chest.

"He had an attack. The doctor brought him here- he says we're not fit to take of him! What does he fucking know?!" the cook yelled, looking about ready to hit something again. Nami gaped for a moment before her eyes narrowed slightly dangerously.

"Not fit…?" she frowned, "What are they going to do with him?" and she watched as Sanji paced around the coffee table, shaking his hand angrily, Nami got the clear view that this was going to affect her boyfriend badly. She hoped it wouldn't be too bad, after all, they would get Zoro back. But... Sanji would feel better without Zoro to look after for a while. Right?

"That Leith guy, he said he'd be put in the hospital's mental ward…" he replied, practically spitting Leith's name out as he paced back across the floor in front of her. He didn't think of himself as anything more to Zoro than a friend. Maybe a brother, but, he damn well knew that Zoro was going to be pissed about this when he woke up. He was worried about the reaction he was going to get, and he was worried about Zoro doing something totally idiotic... like running away again. Nami's eyes widened. So... the doctors had found out about Zoro... She briefly wondered why he was going to be put in a 'mental' ward though. Zoro wasn't mental, just scared.

"Mental ward? What the hell for!? He hasn't _got_ a mental problem! Nothing's going right at all anymore…" Nami frowned and bit her lip, "Damnit! Did he say anything else?" and she watched Sanji with sharp eyes as the chef finally stopped moving long enough to run his uninjured hand through his hair.

"It's my fault again," Sanji said, ignoring Nami completely, glaring at the wall, "He took one look at me and thought…" and he realized how bad he must look, "Fuck! I'd have thought the same thing!" Nami sighed, not making any comment. Sanji did indeed look like some sort of street bum. She held back tears for the cook's sake and tried to think of something that would take his mind off of Zoro.

"We'll figure it out. We'll get him back. Come on, bring Zoro and we'll go and see Luffy…" Nami said, hoping that might at least prompt Sanji to do something else other than wage a full on war against himself. It was a useless gesture.

"What's the point?" Sanji asked as he sunk into a chair, "They sedated him…" He was heading further and further towards a deep depression that he was sure he wouldn't be able to crawl out of. Currently, he felt like curling into a ball and dying. Yeah, that would be nice right about now…Nami sighed sadly.

"Well, I'm going back to him, are you coming?" she asked, eyeing the chef with pity and worry. Sanji shook his head in a no gesture as he slipped his head into his hands and sat there, almost as motionless as Zoro. Nami shook her head and rubbed a finger at one of her temples, before moving out and heading back to Luffy's room, if only to escape the sadness, and tenseness of the waiting room.

---

Two days after the incident at the hospital, and Luffy had woken only once, and even then he'd only been semi-coherent. Nami wasn't even sure he'd actually been awake. They were at home now, and as promised, that morning, Doctor Leith had called to say that they would be picking up Zoro later that day. He was going to be handling it personally, as he was worried that Zoro would get violent.

Nami had scoffed, thanked him sourly and slammed the phone down. Sanji had then taken up the task of packing the last of Zoro's clothes, and he was doing so in the room upstairs. Turning to the green haired teen, Sanji flinched as he saw the glare he was receiving. Normally, Zoro glaring at him wasn't that hard to handle, but, he felt so guilty about everything that had happened. Not to mention the anger and pure hatred that Zoro was sending at him like a tidal wave.

"Zoro, I…" he began, but couldn't continue. He didn't know what to say. Sorry wasn't enough, and he'd already tried that multiple times. Zoro didn't respond. He hadn't spoken since he'd found out. Grabbing the suitcase away from Sanji, the angered teen threw it across the room so it slammed against a wall, and the clothes went everywhere. Zoro was hurt, betrayed and angry that no one had even ASKED him if he wanted to go to this mental place. Not that he would have wanted to, he liked being with Nami and Sanji.

He always had. He was pissed more about the fact that Leith had said Zoro was to go... and Sanji hadn't fought for him. Hadn't done anything other than to apologise profusely. Apologies weren't enough for Zoro... He didn't understand that if Sanji was sorry, then why had he let it happen to begin with?

Sanji was seriously depressed now. Everything he had done, and said, his guilt... it was all whirling in his head and making him unable to think rationally. Everything was... _his _fault. No one else's. He moved over and sat down on the floor, sighing as he picked up the clothes and began folding them again. Guilt was making it hard for him to think straight, and Zoro wasn't helping the situation. But then… Sanji couldn't blame him. Everything they had put into getting Zoro to trust them, had been thrown out the window and left to shrivel and die in the sun as soon as that Leith bastard had started all this. Now... Zoro wasn't even prepared to let them out of his sight. He couldn't- no... _wouldn't _trust them. Sanji felt rather than saw the green eyes that were burning holes in the back of his head.

"Don't worry… I'll pick it up…" he mumbled, as a late thought. He was so quiet, almost timid and sounded practically the same as Zoro did when he was in trouble. Was this how Zoro felt when he was in trouble?

Frowning, the green haired boy turned his face away to glare at the wall. Nami had tried talking to him, but Zoro had simply closed his bedroom door softly in her face, and then locked it, laying on his bed and not eating or sleeping during the two days of waiting for the doctor to ring. Sanji lowered his head, feeling utterly rejected by the way the other teen was glaring at the wall. He got the extreme feeling that Zoro didn't even want to look at him, and he was probably right.

"I'm sorry, Zoro…" he muttered for the hundredth time, and every time he said it, he meant it. But Zoro wasn't willing to listen and that probably was derived from the fact that he no longer trusted them. The only response he got was a harsh, growling sound from his throat, clearly telling him where he could stick his sorry. Sighing, Sanji finished reloading in a matter of minutes and then zipped the case closed, standing and looking at the man before him. Green eyes were closed and wouldn't even open to glare at him anymore.

"…Zoro?" he asked quietly, hoping to prompt some sort of response. Even if it was a glare. He achieved his glare as the teen's eyes snapped open, and Sanji could visually see the way Zoro was tensing his body, holding his ground. Almost like a little kid that didn't want to leave their favourite playground. Sanji didn't find that thought mildly amusing though as his own shoulders hunched.

"Zoro, we'll get you back…" he said, trying to make the man see sense. What the hell was he thinking!? No matter what he said, Zoro wouldn't be any different, and if Sanji were in his shoes, he'd do the same damn thing. Frowning, Zoro narrowed his eyes at the blonde, clearly conveying that he wasn't going to believe a word the blonde teen said anymore.

"Zoro, don't do this, please, I said I was sorry!" Sanji pleaded and Zoro scoffed, not meeting his eyes. Sanji bowed his head so his hair shadowed his eyes. If this didn't make Zoro talk... nothing would.

"They're… sending Luffy to the orphanage…" he muttered quietly. And Zoro's eyes widened, only opening his mouth to draw in a sharp intake of breath. Green eyes were now focused on Sanji, and trembling slightly as fear spread across Zoro's face. Not for himself, but for Luffy. He still wouldn't talk though.

"As soon as he's strong enough…" he continued and Zoro shook his head, clenching his teeth shut and glaring at the wall again. Yes, it was true. During the phone call this morning, Leith had told them. Luffy had apparently woken up and Dr Leith had personally taken the time to review his health, and during that time Luffy had revealed his own mindset… and now he was going to be taken away too. The doctor considered Luffy more 'slow' than 'mentally impaired' as he'd referred to Zoro and so had arranged for him to be placed into the nearby orphanage since the boy wasn't old enough to live on his own. He also deducted that Sanji and Nami, being so young themselves didn't have the proper medical knowledge to deal with the boys. Once again, he had told them that should they complete the courses and obtain the proper qualification and should they want to proceed (to which Sanji had glared at him for even _suggesting _they possibly wouldn't), Luffy could come back to stay with them.

That had sent Sanji basically over the edge. Nami had lost control silently in the kitchen, sobbing into her hands while Sanji was upstairs packing Zoro's things. She knew they'd get them back, she wouldn't give up until she did, but… it didn't stop it from hurting the first time round. Zoro clenched his teeth shut, his fists soon following and his shoulders trembled while Sanji watched. The blonde knew very well that Zoro was arguing with himself about what he was dying to say… and then the wrong side won through.

"Then, maybe, YOU should have taken better care of him!" Zoro finally yelled and Sanji flinched, bowing his head sadly. The accusation, anger, hurt, betrayal… everything in Zoro's voice was directed at Sanji and the chef felt guilt making his insides twist painfully.

"I did the best I could Zoro…" he murmured a weak defence and Zoro shook his head wildly.

"Well, it wasn't good ENOUGH!" the teen yelled back, finally losing all control on his pain. Sanji sighed, moving around Zoro to leave the room.

"I'll go… and get the rest of your stuff." he mumbled, one hand in his pocket while the other held the suitcase. Zoro couldn't understand why Sanji was doing this! Yes, someone had decided that Zoro needed to go somewhere. Sure, Zoro probably shouldn't have gone off on his own like that at the hospital. But, damn it! Why wasn't Sanji fighting for Luffy and him! Running around in front of Sanji, he spread his arms out and glowered at the slightly taller teen.

"Why are you packing for me!? I don't WANT to leave!" he growled angrily, trying to get Sanji to let him stay.

"I have no choice Zoro. Move out of my way." Sanji said, his voice taking a hard edge, but it wasn't nearly as dangerous as it had once been. Zoro shook his head forcefully.

"No! I'm not leaving. And neither is Luffy!" he replied, though he had no idea how he was going to get Luffy back. He was more worried about making Sanji do something to save them. The cook raised a hand to his head as it ached something fierce. The headache from his hangover had never gone away, and over the last few days if it was possible, had gotten worse.

"Zoro. Move, now." Sanji instructed, the hard edge getting a little stronger. Zoro's face faded from anger to confusion and then understanding. He knew why now.

"You want me to leave…" he muttered before clenching his eyes shut and grinding his teeth, "Well FINE! To HELL with you too!" and turning, he stormed out of the room, down the stairs past a shocked Nami, and out the front door, where he stood on the path and pushed his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders. Sanji moved to the wall and leaned against it, sliding down it miserably to sit on the floor, drawing his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around his knees before burying his head in his arms.

This was all his fault…

Nami ran up the stairs and stopped as she spotted Sanji curled up against the wall, the suitcase leaning against him almost miserably. As she watched, she saw the chef take a great shuddering breath and she moved over to him, bending down beside him and placing a hand on his back.

"Sanji… come on. We need to be down there when they come. They need to talk to us before they…" and her voice caught, "leave…" Sanji shook his head. He didn't see any point. Zoro was mad at him and wanted nothing to do with him anymore, Luffy was still in hospital… and Sanji wanted to die. Nami rubbed her hand over his back a little before picking up the suitcase and moving to the door.

"Alright, I'll come back up later…" she said, and then was gone. Sanji listened as the minutes passed and then car doors opened and slammed closed... And that was that. Zoro was gone.

---

That afternoon, Nami tried to convince Sanji to come with her to the hospital to see Luffy, but the blonde wouldn't be budged from his position against the wall in Zoro's room. He didn't respond to her at all, even when she'd hit him in anger. He barely grunted, but still didn't move. So, Nami was alone in the room with Luffy, who was hooked up to many machines, but was doing better than the other day. The first day he'd been in here, he was as pale as death and couldn't even breathe properly. At least now the colour had returned to his cheeks, and he was looking a lot healthier than he had been.

So Nami watched as he slept, silently and guiltily hoping that he wouldn't wake up, just so she wouldn't have to answer any questions about Sanji or Zoro. And then Luffy groaned as he started to wake up, his eyelids twitching and Nami let out a silent, but thankful sigh. Despite the fact that she'd been hoping Luffy would stay asleep, she had also wanted him to wake up. Sanji wouldn't talk to her, Zoro was gone… somewhere in this very hospital but, inaccessible. Some conversation might do her good. The boy blinked up at her blearily, and Nami smiled, leaning over him a little bit.

"Na…mi?" he croaked and let out a soft cough.

"Hey Luffy. How are you?" she asked softly and sadly. Luffy smiled brightly, but tiredly and Nami's heart went out to the little guy.

"M'ok." he replied, blinking sleepily before his eyes scanned the room and Nami knew exactly what was coming, "Where," and he paused to cough as his throat was so dry, "Zo…" Nami bowed her head a little before avoiding the large eyes looking at her, looking around for something for Luffy to drink. Spotting a metal jug of water on the bed stand on the other side of the bed, she hurried around to it and poured out a plastic cup full for Luffy. She was trying to avoid the question… for now.

She knew it would come up again soon enough. Handing the cup to the smaller teen, she settled herself back in her original chair. Luffy drank the water happily, clearing his throat and smiling a little more brightly now that his throat didn't hurt anymore. Once he had finished, he weakly raised his arms in a silent plea for a hug, smiling slightly. Nami smiled back and leaned over, hugging him tightly. She could feel the sadness rising in her again as her eyes began to lose focus, due to the build up of tears. Blinking them away, she leant back into the chair and Luffy tilted his head, grinning.

"Where's Zoro?" he asked. Nami sighed. Yeah, as she'd thought. Averting her eyes, she clasped her hands on her lap to stop them from shaking.

"He's gone Luffy…" she said softly before looking up at him earnestly, "But we'll get him back!" Luffy looked around the room, wondering if maybe Zoro was hiding behind something.

"Where'd he go?" he asked when Zoro didn't jump up and yell 'surprise'. Nami shook her head, sniffling a little.

"He's not here. He's… somewhere else." she replied sadly. Luffy had just opened his mouth to ask another question, when Doctor Leith walked in. He was sporting a black eye and had a clipboard in his hands, a small smile on his face. Nami leaned back in her chair and placed a hand over her face on the pretence of covering a yawn, but she was actually smirking behind it. Looked like Zoro had given the nice doctor a proper greeting. Nami felt no pity for him, served him right in fact. But it was lucky for Zoro that they thought he was 'mentally impaired', otherwise he might not have gotten away with it. Doctor Leith looked down at Luffy and smiled.

"How do you feel today?" he inquired, tapping his clipboard against his leg. Luffy smiled brightly, and happily.

"Can I go home?" he asked happily and hopefully.

"You're not well enough yet." Leith replied as he leaned over Luffy and pulled out his stethoscope, "How do you feel? Weak? Like you're going to be sick?" and he pushed down the top of Luffy's shirt enough so he could touch the metal to the boy's chest. The teen shrieked at the coldness, causing Nami and Leith to jump and then he collapsed into giggles that quickly turned into a coughing fit. Leith blinked and then smiled, realizing that this boy was really as childish as he had originally thought.

"How about this?" and he blew on the stethoscope (after taking out the earplugs) and placed it on Luffy's chest again. Nami watched Leith angrily. She was pissed that he'd decided that it was _his _responsibility to take away everyone she cared for. And it was his fault that Sanji was at home right now, probably thinking about suicide. God, she should get home to him and make sure he didn't do anything stupid. But… Leith genuinely seemed to care about people's well being, and probably thought he was doing what was best for the two. That made him at least marginally respectable.

"S'better." Luffy croaked, his eyes watering and his throat sore again from the coughing. Nami filled another cup full of water and handed it to him and Luffy took it and drank the cup dry again. Once Leith had listened to Luffy's chest for a bit, he leaned away and smiled, taking off his stethoscope and folding it away in his pocket.

"You're recovering nicely. Your lungs seem to be repairing themselves fairly quickly, and you should be able to leave in another few days. Maybe a week." and he smiled some more. Luffy nodded.

"Ah, I wanna see Zoro." he stated, grinning and then blinking, "Nami, where's Sanji? Did he go away too? Mister, where's Zoro?" and Luffy turned his large gaze on the doctor. Nami raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Leith as well, looking mock interested.

"Sanji's at home Luffy. He's sick. And Zoro," and she tilted her head a little bit, "Would _you _like to explain where Luffy's best friend is, _sir._" Nami smiled sweetly at him, resting her chin on her fist as she watched Leith squirm. The doctor blinked down at them, and then adjusted his glasses before speaking.

"Zoro is currently under care. I'm afraid it's not possible for you to see him at this time." Leith replied. Nami hoped there was a pound of guilt, no, as many pounds as Zoro weighed, resting on Leith's head right now. It'd be only half of what she and Sanji were feeling. Luffy blinked between them.

"Naa?" he asked, blinking at Nami and then he bowed his head sadly, "'kay." Leith peered at them sympathetically for a moment before turning to walk out.

"That'll clear up in two weeks, ya know." Nami said after him and then smirked when Leith paused, and then just hurried out. Hearing a soft sigh, Nami turned and peered at Luffy as the boy rubbed at his eyes.

"My eyes are heavy…" he mumbled. Nami smiled at him again, before leaning over and hugging him tightly.

"Get some more rest, ok? You'll see Zoro again soon, I promise." and she held him even tighter. Luffy's eyes slipped closed as he leaned against her.

"Naa… I miss… Zoro." he mumbled before his head lolled against her shoulder. Nami sniffled, hanging onto him tightly.

"So do I…" and she bit her lip against a sob that was threatening to push its way out. And she knew she would miss Luffy too.

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**Clarobell: Hello and welcome to 'Reader Time'! Here is where you tell us what you want to see! Yes, you heard correctly! Just tell us what you'd like to see happen in DD, and we may just include it!! There are a lot of plot holes to fill, so use your imagination and try to be detailed eh? Though, there is a condition. We won't accept your idea unless you comment on the chapter. You can send us the 'reader time' in a PM if you like and that would actually be preferable to a review. Remember, it can be anything! Going to the beach, the fair, a road trip, meeting somebody. We'll give credit in the authors notes of that chapter to the person who came up with the idea. Thanks for your help guys!**

**Plushie: Yeah yeah, what she said. -goes off to cry about the chapter somewhere with the reviewers- **


	21. A Downhill Slide

**Clarobell: Thank you so much for all the reviews guys, its really helping me out. It seems you all missed DD when we didn't update for a while and a few new readers have com to join us now. I hope both old and new enjoy the REAL start of the angst. Mwaha!**

**Plushie: Thanks. **

**Luffy: You're welcome!**

**Clarobell: Not you!**

**Zoro: ... me? **

Plushie: Go back to sleep, Zoro.

Zoro: meh. -does so- 

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 21: A downhill slide**_

After returning from the hospital, Nami had come home to find Sanji still curled up by the wall of Zoro's room in the same position she'd left him in that morning. She could understand the guilt, sadness he was feeling... after all, as much as the cook sometimes got angry with Zoro... they were friends. Good friends. Same as her and Zoro were...

Sighing heavily, she moved back out of the room, decided to wait and see if he sorted himself out on his own. Moving into the lounge, she sat down and turned on the TV, flicking to a movie channel. Halfway through the film, there had still been no movement upstairs and the red head decided enough was enough. She had let him sit there for another hour or so and her worry was niggling away at her mind. Switching off the TV, she walked back up the stairs and sighed softly as she poked her head around the bedroom door, finding Sanji in that same curled up position. He wasn't asleep, his eyes were open and staring dazedly ahead at the wall on the opposite side of the room... but they were glazed and almost like doll's eyes. Dead and lifeless... It unnerved her a little. Crouching beside her boyfriend, she peered at him in concern.

"Sanji?" she called softly, reaching out a hand and laying it on his shoulder. The blonde teen inclined his head slightly at the touch, turning it ever so slightly away from Nami, but otherwise made no move. "Sanji, please... This isn't going to do you any good. Sitting here like this... Come on, up you get." And she hooked her hands under his arms and attempted to pull him to his feet. Sanji sighed after a second or two and got up himself, lazily dusting off his creased suit before sticking his hands in his pockets.

"M'okay Nami-san..." he finally replied quietly, and Nami sighed in relief, but the worry was still evident in her watchful eyes. She'd never seen Sanji look so... out of it before.

"Why don't you go have a shower or something, and then get some sleep eh?" she suggested, taking his hand and giving it a soft squeeze. It hurt a little when he didn't squeeze back.

"Ok Nami-san..." he replied, and moved from the room, heading for the shower.

Nami sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She'd underestimated how much losing Zoro and Luffy was going to affect him. She hadn't thought anything of it, he'd always been strong, always been able to simply say 'It'll be fine, Nami-san. Don't worry.' but not this time... this time he was slipping away from her. It was so unlike him, so out of character. He seemed to be recoiling into his own little world, starting to hide from the harsh reality they'd been dealt over the past days.

She didn't like it one bit... but there was nothing she could do besides try and figure out a way of getting their two family members back to them again as soon as possible. Her lips pursed as she remembered Zoro's harsh words to Sanji before he'd left. She could see the pain and the hurt buried in his blue eyes. She'd seen the same pain in her own when her baby had died inside of her. Her child had been taken from her, and now Zoro. Even though she felt a twinge of anger at the green haired teen for starting Sanji on this path, God... she wished she had him here to talk to right now. Though she knew he still didn't understand a lot of things, he wasn't a bad guy to simply to talk things through with. He did his best to listen, try to understand and help, even though he could only do little things, like help with chores and simply be there in case they needed him for something, as rare as that may be, but the point was that he tried. He wasn't here now though…

Then there was Luffy...

She wanted to see him grin at her, bounce around and brighten up the house again. It had become too silent and moody for her liking. A hug from that kid'd be nice right about now too. She'd become used to his random affection. Hugs in the hallway and cuddles on the sofa. It was so good to feel so loved and needed by somebody. Not that she hadn't felt that before but Luffy was so willing to give affection away, even though he'd never really been shown it before. Nami's eyes watered slightly as she remembered both her boys and sitting down on Zoro's bed, she leaned forward and put her head in her hands. She wanted-no... _needed _them back. ...Right now.

---

The next day Nami had at least been hoping that Sanji might have at least gotten over the initial shock and general trauma from the events of the day before... but luck didn't appear to be on her side. If anything, the cook was worse. He still got up in the morning, but watching him move, the red head couldn't help but think that this _wasn't_ her Sanji. He hadn't bothered to brush his hair, or his teeth for that matter. Nami had to make him go back up and do both of those things. She also noticed his walk... the way it no longer held any jauntiness or bounce to it like it had used to... his eyes were still glassy and he often gazed at nothing, seemingly lost in his own thoughs, more than likely blaming himself for everything as she'd heard him mumbling before. He was tired and dull, and wouldn't speak unless spoken to either, and even _that _was a big effort for him. Suddenly she found herself missing all of those little compliments, the silly little twirl in his step whenever he brought her a snack, and damn it! It had only been one day! How were they going to live like this? Sanji didn't really seem to care. Lost in his guilt and rapidly growing depression, he simply watched as time slipped by. His stance was slumped, and didn't show that confident, almost cocky attitude of his that was always so apparent. He simply sat there on the sofa, reclining against the cushions and staring at nothing in particular.

It was breakfast time, and though Nami had offered to cook something, seeing as Sanji obviously wasn't feeling too good right now, the blonde would have none of it. Sanji still had that damnable stubbornness towards cooking. For _that _she was thankful... at least for now. He had removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves as he always did, moving quickly, but notably lacking that usual grace she'd come to love. His movements almost seemed jerky, as if he wanted to get the job over and done with rather than enjoy it as any chef should. She hadn't stayed to watch, finding it too painful, however stupid that may sound, but she didn't like to see the man she loved acting so… different. It was just too upsetting.

"Here, Nami-san." a soft voice said, and she looked up from the newspaper to see Sanji laying a plate on the table in front of her. She smiled at him, but his lips barely lifted in response as he turned away and began cleaning up the slight mess from the cooking. Blinking, the red head watched him for a second before realising that there was only _one _plate.

"Sanji? Where's your breakfast?" she asked, looking around slightly before narrowing her eyes in suspicion. The blonde shook his head slightly.

"I'm not hungry... thank you, Nami-san. Just tired." He replied softly before turning on the dishwasher as he finished stacking the plates and left the room, headed into the lounge room. Nami waited to hear the TV come on, but there was no sound at all. Worried, she stood up and walked the short distance to the lounge before peeking inside to see Sanji lying on the couch. From the looks of it he was asleep, knees drawn up and his hands caught between them. Sighing a little, Nami knew this was going to continue... and get worse. How much worse, she didn't know... but she hoped it wasn't going to be much. They already had so much to deal with.

Once again, she felt that sadness for the loss of Zoro and Luffy and turning away, she went to eat her breakfast alone. If Sanji did get worse with this depression and have a minor breakdown like she had after she'd miscarried, she wouldn't mind looking after him. He had done so for her. She didn't think she would ever forget that feeling back then. She'd slipped so far, that everything had seemed so unreal. The world around her had been a dream. She could hardly remember most of it as she'd spent the best part of two months curled up in bed.

Sani had catered to her every whim back then. It was as if she was the baby. He'd had to bring her food and sometimes even feed her, help wash her and change her clothes. She'd felt so lonely and lost, even though he was there, and he would often talk to her, sometimes for hours until he was called away by Zoro, or the obligation to cook or clean. She could clearly remember the tears. Never in her wildest dream did she think she'd ever be capable of crying so much. She would often cry for no reason, and even after the depression had faded, she still found herself crying sometimes, and then as if by magic, Sanji would walk in the room to check on her, almost as if he could feel her pain, and he'd hold her close and kiss away the tears, promising it would all fade soon.

And it had.

One day, she had been wandering through the house, heading for the shower, when she'd wandered past Zoro's room. Sanji and Zoro were seated on the bed, side by side with a toddler's book in the cook's hands. They were slowly reciting the alphabet together, with more than a few errors on Zoro's part, but to see them like that, suddenly she felt like she could live again. It had been the strangest feeling, like a weight had been lifted from her heart and suddenly the negative emotions didn't seem so powerful anymore. The two hadn't seemed to notice her, and continued with their study, but when they had and Sanji had given her one of his dazzling smiles, for the first time in what seemed like forever, she managed to smile back.

It had been a long time since then, and Nami couldn't help but wonder... how had he looked after her when she'd been so depressed and looked after Zoro at the same time? After all, the green haired teen had been a fair handful back then. He was always trying to sneak away and hide somewhere so he wouldn't have to eat, or see them. And then he'd have his moments where he'd just want to stick to someone like glue. Then there'd been his nightmares. Now _they _had been an adventure all of their own. Once, Sanji had even counted that Zoro had woken about twenty times in one night. which Nami hadn't even thought was humanly possible. But then, Zoro had slept a lot back then too.

After finding out that he wasn't expected to do any tasks or carry out chores, he seemed to want to sleep all day. At first there had been no nightmares and he could literally sleep from one day to the next, usually only waking when woken up or to go to the bathroom. Slowly over several weeks he'd sorted out his sleeping pattern a little better, though tended to fall asleep usually around five or sometimes even four in the afternoon, he'd fall asleep quite suddenly and then _if _he slept at least most of the night without waking up (the nightmares having started to make their appearance by then), he would most likely sleep through until about seven or eight in the morning.

Zoro didn't speak unless he was spoken to, didn't eat unless he was ordered to, though when he was given permission to have hot showers, he took to that like a duck to water, and much the same as Luffy had tended to stay in there for hours on end. He had panicked with the weirdest, and smallest things... but big things didn't seem to worry him as much. Sometimes he would get scared and he'd end up in the corner of the lounge room that had kind of become his hidey hole. If he was frightened, or thought he'd done something wrong, he'd go there and stay there until someone got him out again.

Wow... Nami hadn't realised just how well Sanji had really handled all that back then... without the chance to mourn and grieve like she had. So this... must have been what that was. He was finally mourning over that... and it was because his backup had been taken away. Because _Zoro _had been taken away. Now she understood it! _That's _how he had done it. By focusing his mind totally and solely on looking after Zoro. Zoro had become a substitute for the child he'd lost and had almost become Sanji's son in the cook's mind. Sanji had ignored his loss and instead decided that Zoro would be a replacement and so had focused all of his energy on controlling his temper and building up his patience to earn the green haired teen's trust. Now Zoro was gone though, all the hurt had come rushing back. At first it had just been the guilt over being such an idiot and causing all of this, but then he had to deal with the fact that Zoro, his Zoro, _his _son, was being taken away, and then when his mind had been left to wander, no longer busy with caring for anybody, the reality had hit home about Nami's miscarriage. He _had _lost a son and he _had _hurt. He's had to bury it deep inside of him though because other people had needed him then.

Nobody needed him now though...

Nami could just imagine Sanji to think that way and really, it made so much more sense now. When she'd come out of that depression again, she'd found it very strange that Sanji was being so nice, patient and understanding towards Zoro, and how the green haired teen was slowly warming up to Sanji and starting to listen to him a bit more. Not that she hadn't been happy about that, but it had just been weird. But at least she now understood why Sanji was acting this way.

She would still be worried as hell, and still want him to be better, but... he'd looked after her all those months back. It had been two months in after they had found Zoro, and unlike now when he was usually placid and quiet and only violent when he panicked... he'd been rather inclined to hit anything that came within a one meter radius of him. He had only eaten once a day, sometimes twice, but if he did eat twice the chances were he would just throw it back up again, his stomach not accustomed to taking in any more than one meal a day. She'd been so damn worried about him, because he just looked so weak and fragile.

They hadn't taken him to the police, the hospital, or anywhere like that for fear that he would be taken away. Sanji had actually been all for that, not too keen on 'keeping' a stranger with them, especially with Nami's pregnancy but Nami had straight out refused it. Just as she had refused Sanji the chance to get rid of Luffy. She believed she could truly help both of them... Nami wasn't usually the type of girl to give things away so easily, let alone her way of life, time and social life, but from the moment she'd seen Zoro wandering down that street looking so lost and so hurt, she knew she couldn't just turn her back on him. At first it was only meant to be temporary, but when they'd found out he had no place to go and nobody to stay with, she knew she couldn't just send him away to die on the streets. She had known once Sanji got over his initial snobby nature that was a part of his general character, he would have enjoyed the opportunity to have friends like that. Not only friends, but... family.

Sighing heavily as she finished her breakfast, the red head put the plate in the sink and then decided she was going to have to... What? Most of her time had been devoted to doing something with Luffy or Zoro. And if not with them, then spending time with Sanji... but the blonde was asleep. She didn't even want to wake him, for fear that he would need the sleep in coming weeks. She couldn't work either…

Twiddling her fingers together, Nami chewed on her lip a little before deciding that she could... do the washing. That hadn't been done yet. Heading into the lounge, she sent a quick glance Sanji's way before moving through into the laundry room. Nope... no washing to do here. Luffy must have done it all before he had gotten sick and he and Zoro had run away. They'd hardly been home since then and couldn't have changed their clothes more than twice. Well... she could sweep out the kitchen then.

Heading back through, she paused when she saw Sanji twitch slightly on the couch, and she watched him for a second. It had been the kind of twitch of someone who was having a bad dream. She knew it well from watching Zoro countless times. When nothing else happened, Nami moved into the kitchen and took hold of the broom. Starting to sweep, she saw it was pointless. Either Luffy or Zoro had done this before they had left and it wasn't dirty again yet. Throwing the broom down, she wiped a hand over her face to get rid of the tears that were starting to appear again.

Luffy did the general chores, and Zoro helped him out a lot too sometimes. Nami and Sanji hadn't had to do it. Those two really had done a lot for them, hadn't they? Whether it was because of the abuse or because they were trying to help out... she didn't know, but the fact was, that they had still done it. Still tried to help. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm. They would be allowed to see Zoro soon... She would go back and visit Luffy again as well.

But it just wasn't the same.

---

Nami had been rather unnerved to see that Sanji had slept all day and had eaten nothing. He hadn't moved from the lounge room, and was still as miserable as ever when he finally did wake up again. In an attempt to cheer him up, she had gone in and snuggled with him. Something she didn't usually do unless she was tired, or wanted something. He hadn't even responded. No goofy smile wriggled across his face, no love heart eyes.

Nothing.

Sighing heavily, she had tried telling him that if he wasn't careful, he was going to end up really making himself sick. Still the blonde didn't respond, though she thought maybe at one point he had glared at her a little. Almost like he was telling her to just leave him alone and let him drown in his own self pity. If that was the case, then she was sure he would be sorely disappointed. She would do everything possible to make him get up and around again... But suddenly that vow didn't seem like very much at all.

"Are you going to do some cooking, Sanji?" she asked quietly from where she was seated on the sofa beside him, one hand rubbing absently at the back of his head, manicured nails trailing across his scalp soothingly. Sanji was slouched beside her, hands resting palms upward in his lap while his head was tilted back so he could stare at the ceiling through half lidded, dull eyes.

"Maybe..." he replied groggily and Nami sighed.

"Do you want to do some cooking? It might cheer you up." she gently prodded, but Sanji just heaved a loud sigh.

"No... Thank you, Nami-san." he replied softly, still looking up at the ceiling. Nami sighed slightly again before taking one of his hands and holding it between her own.

"Please, Sanji? For me?" she asked, "You can have something to eat, and then a nice long hot bath." And she watched his face for any sign of a reaction.

"M'not hungry Nami-san... I had a shower today..." he replied simply, shrugging a little before he pulled his hand away from hers and laid it back in his lap again. Nami was hurt by that, but she sighed heavily and let it go.

It was obvious Sanji didn't want her affection, and if he was feeling anything like she had back then, she could guess that he more than likely thought he didn't deserve it. Those months ago, no matter how many times she was told it wasn't her fault, she still couldn't help but think it was. Her baby had died because her body couldn't handle it. That was the way she saw things. Knowing Sanji, he was more than likely going along the same self-hate path.

Deciding to give him some space to think things through, she stood up from the sofa and lightly smoothed down the wrinkles in her skirt before turning to face her boyfriend.

"If you change your mind, I'll be upstairs... ok?" and she watched him again, but he just heaved another sigh.

---

A week later saw Nami having her first visit with Zoro. Sanji had silently refused to come, and Nami didn't think he was in any condition to come. He'd eaten that morning, but had thrown it straight back up again, and that made her three times as worried. She knew he hadn't done it on purpose, as no matter how depressed he was, he would never, _never_, waste food. After making sure he was okay, she had left for the hospital and was now standing outside the door to a room that Doctor Leith had led her to. The week had gone all too painfully slow for her liking, and ow things seemed so tense. How would Zoro react? Was he still bitter? Would he hate her? Her hand was slightly stretched out for the handle… but she wasn't sure whether she wanted to go in and see Zoro. Leith had mentioned casually over the phone that Zoro had been a handful to begin with, but they'd managed to keep him calm with some techniques. She knew very well that the 'techniques' were sedation. It was horrible really.

Finally gathering her courage up, she placed her hand on the doorknob and opened it slightly, sidling in and then shutting it softly behind her. Well that was interesting. They'd put a seal on the door so it didn't slam. They must have found out about that then. She had given them her journal on Zoro, but, she doubted they believed the severity of some of Zoro's attacks, if they'd even bothered to read it that is. And then, she saw him.

Zoro was sitting on his bed, knees drawn up to his chest and eyes tired and droopy. He seemed to be in deep thought about something. It was only when she had sat down on a chair that had been provided for her comfort, that Zoro seemed to notice her presence and he blinked tiredly for a moment before his eyes widened and he smiled.

"Nami…" and then he laughed a little, "Nami!" and he jumped off the bed and hurried over to her, wringing his hands a little nervously. Nami smiled widely back at the unexpectedly affectionate greeting.

"Hiya Zoro, how you holding up?" she asked, her voice soft and her eyes beginning to water.

Zoro just seemed so happy to see her again. While being in here, he'd had nothing but a blank wall to stare at and nurses that came in all the time to put him through tests and things. Here was someone who wasn't going to touch him with a needle, hit him, yell at him, or treat him like a five year old. But still… she'd let him come here.

Zoro opened his mouth to reply, and then glanced at a wall nearby that he knew people watched him through. He wasn't stupid, he knew when he heard whispering voices, the creaks of chairs and the scrapes of things on tables. His hearing had always been quite exceptional, strained to the limits listening for any danger approaching in the orphanage and he could hear basically everything through the wall. Knowing that what he was about to say, was the wrong thing, he looked back to Nami.

"Fine. How's Luffy?" he asked instead. Nami nodded.

"Much better. He keeps asking about you. Next week the doctors say he'll be ready to leave the hospital." she said. Zoro's smile fell a little.

"Is… is he still going to that place?" and Nami's smile fell as well. She bowed her head and nodded slowly.

"Yeah…" she replied softly. Zoro shook his head and settled himself on the floor, crossing his legs and holding his ankles with his hands before looking up at her, his eyes scanning her face.

"Why?" he asked and Nami couldn't take it anymore.

"Oh, Zoro, the doctors… they think we can't take care of you and that you _need_ taking care of… me and S-Sanji, we know better. We're gonna get you out of here, ok? However long it takes." she burst out, looking down at the teen as he blinked back at her with wide eyes. Zoro bowed his head and knew better than to let anything show anymore, so he put on a smile that was similar to Luffy's and looked back up at her.

"I know…" he replied, and just continued to smile. Nami's eyebrows knitted together, and she frowned. Zoro NEVER smiled like that.

"Zoro… why did you do that?" she asked slowly. The green haired teen merely blinked in fake confusion.

"Huh?" and he tilted his head. As long as he smiled, as long as he acted polite, he didn't have to be sedated. The doctors and nurses thought, that if he was smiling… then he must be happy, right? Morons. He was anything but happy. Actually, he was miserable. He'd never realised how good he had it at Nami and Sanji's. Sanji... Zoro felt guilt course through him every time he thought of the blonde now. He'd said such horrible things. He knew deep down it wasn't their fault. He didn't really understand how all this had happened or why they had let it happen, but he new they would have stopped it if they could have… but he'd been so cruel and said such nasty and spiteful things before he'd left… It was then he noticed Sanji wasn't here. Maybe he hated him now? He wouldn't be surprised...

"Don't hide from me Zoro. I know you better than that." and she reached down to run a hand through his hair, "Luffy… don't end up like him Zoro."

The smile stayed, but his eyes fell sad. He'd heard Leith saying many times through the thick glass window of his door that until he calmed down, he was to be sedated whenever he even began to show signs of panic. The nurses were scared of him. Zoro could tell. He didn't understand why. But the worst thing was... they didn't just sedate him when he actually had a panic attack... they sedated him when they came into the room to give him his food. They sedated him when they came in to do anything really. And while being in here, he'd begun to think some more. Luffy escaped things by smiling... and these people wanted him to smile... so if he used Luffy's smile as a cover and became good enough at it, then, they would leave him alone.

"It's better that way…" he muttered, glancing at the wall again. He imagined he could see people nodding and shaking hands with each other, and entertained thoughts of throwing the chair Nami was sitting on, straight at them, but then Nami herself began to sob.

"Please Zoro, don't make me worry about you too." she gasped, putting a hand over her face, "With Sanji how he is, and Luffy going to that damn orphanage! Please don't lock yourself away." and she gasped again, having had a stressful week, and much like Sanji, everything was crashing down on her head at once. Zoro looked up at her, the smile still on his face.

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine here." he said, the barest trace of sarcasm in his voice as he moved over to his bed and sat down on it, leaning his back against the wall and watching her. Nami sniffled and wiped her face, looking over at him as he turned his gaze to the ceiling, still smiling that creepy smile.

"Is Sanji okay?" he asked softly. Nami sighed and stood up as there was a knock at the door and turned to see Leith's face watching her through it. Visit time was over. She'd only been allowed a short visit since it was the first one. She was told they would get longer after a while, when Zoro was more... 'under control'. But for now, he was 'unpredictable' and they didn't want her to be placed in any danger. It seemed they'd conveniently forgotten the fact that he'd been _living_ with her the past 8 months!

"We'll talk more next time Zoro…" she replied, almost glad she hadn't had the chance to answer that question. Zoro blinked at her slowly as he nodded and brought his knees up to his chest, hugging them tightly.

"Tell… tell Sanji I'm sorry." and he blinked at her as his eyes began to tear up a little, "Please?"

He hadn't meant to say what he had to Sanji. After the blonde had just told him he was sorry, but Zoro had still been feeling like Sanji didn't want him anymore, and the two really hadn't had the chance to get rid of the tense air between them. It made him mad then, because the feeling was intensified when Sanji had come up to pack his things so he could leave.

"I will Zoro… he just, he hasn't been listening to me much lately." she replied softly, thinking of the many times she had attempted to get Sanji to speak. Zoro nodded and then the creepy smile was back. Ignorance was bliss… for some. The way Zoro was using it, was in the context of faking ignorance so he didn't have to be sedated. Falling into that weird sleep wasn't pleasant in the slightest.

"Don't worry! Everything will work out!" he said brightly as he smiled and wriggled his toes. Nami sighed painfully and walked out. She knew very well he was acting… but she hoped to god that was all it was, and that he wasn't becoming Luffy. She also hoped that when Luffy went to this orphanage... he wouldn't become Zoro.

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**Clarobell: Oh dear, things just keep getting worse, don't they?? I'll start work on review replies today, which will take quite a while considering we haven't replied since ch 15 I think. I'm not sure if Plushie will have the time to, so you may just get a reply from me, eh? As always, let us know what you think –hands tissues to all the people crying from the last chapter–**

**Plushie: -eats tissues- ... Oo what? **

**Luffy:…are they tasty, Plushie? Can… can I try? Ne?**

Clarobell: eyebrow raise Go on Plushie, how are you gonna handle THAT one? I told you not to set a bad example…

**Plushie: Don't even start with me, or I will eat you, and then I will tell Luffy that Zoro is a giant lollipop and he should go lick him. ... eh heh, that's slightly perverted when you think about it. -grin-**

**Clarobell: ………I'm so proud of my Plushie!**

**Luffy:…Zoro's a lolly?**

**Plushie: Indeed. -shifty eyes- **

**Zoro: ...? -blink- Shouldn't... you be telling the reviewers to review and then leaving it at that? **

Plushie: ... this is true. Review! And we will give you... erm... something anyway. -shrug-

**Clarobell: We'll give you a Zoro-lolly!**

**Luffy: O.O starts typing I… really liked….. this… chapter… and….**

**Clarobell, Plushie, Zoro: O.O**


	22. A star to remember

Clarobell: Oh boy, you guys are _so_ gonna be raving lunatic angry mobs after this chapter. It's the one a LOT of you have been waiting for – scripts into Zoro's past!! Oi! You in the back! Stop flailing! Yes you!

Plushie: Hope you like it. :)

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 22: A star to recognise**_

Sanji didn't move as he heard the key slide in the door and jam slightly before finally the resounding click that told him Nami was home from the hospital. He idly thought that he really should fix that jam in the lock, but what was the point? What was the point of anything any more? Zoro was gone, Luffy was gone and pretty soon, Nami would most likely leave him. This whole thing was his fault. Because _he'd_ lost his temper! Because _he'd_ had a drink! Why he hell had he even done that? He hadn't meant to get that drunk at all, but then the thought of going home and facing those he'd been so…_cruel_ to was just unbearable! He'd shouted at his Nami-san, and lost it with Zoro and Luffy. He must have been the biggest jerk in the world.

The soft patter of footsteps on the stairs caused the blonde to sigh inaudibly, dipping his head lower and letting his tangled hair hang over his dark eyes. Here would come Nami to tell him of how her visit went. Honestly, he didn't want to know. He knew it would be bad and he didn't want to hear about it. It was bad enough he was the cause of Zoro _being_ in that place! Sure enough, a moment later, a ginger head popped around the door, a small smile lighting her face which the chef caught from the corner of his eye.

"There you are…" Nami muttered quietly, "I thought you might have gone out, but, what are you doing in Zoro's room?"

Sanji didn't bother to respond. She knew well enough what he was doing in here. He was trying to pretend that Zoro hadn't been taken, trying to think of ways that he might possibly make it up to him, since he would most likely be spending the rest of his life in that place. They'd been trying for 8 months to keep his 'attacks' under control, what made any difference now? Did Nami think he could take that course and 'poof' everything would be all better? Zoro was _never_ going to be all better. Not after this. It wasn't as if the green haired teen would even _trust_ him after this. The words he'd spoken upon leaving still lingered fresh in his mind.

"Zoro's….okay…" Nami continued after realising she would get no reply from Sanji, "He said to say sorry for the things he said…"

Ah and there it was. That's what he'd been expecting and Nami hadn't disappointed. He knew for a fact, no way, would Zoro change his mind so quickly about something like betrayal. Sanji knew in Zoro's mind, he considered the chef to be the reason he was taken away, and when Zoro held a grudge he held it for a long time unless given a good reason not to. He'd had a feeling Nami would pull a stunt like this, trying to make him believe Zoro actually forgave him, but he knew better. He would honestly love to believe her, but… he knew it would never happen.

He'd become very close to Zoro in those months when Nami had been 'ill' with depression. He'd had to teach the green haired teen many things and slowly built a trust. His whole attitude had changed after the miscarriage. For a few days, he'd kind of been numb, wandering around in a half asleep state. That was when he'd discovered Zoro's fondness for people running their fingers through his cropped hair. It had been an accident really. He'd put down the teen's breakfast and mumbled out a quiet order for him to eat it (that being the only way at the time to get Zoro to eat anything) and when he'd given no protest like usual, he'd kind of felt… proud. Just a twinge in the blank of his mind at the time and he'd moved to start the washing and had lifted a hand, letting it slide through the other boy's hair lazily. At first Zoro had stiffened, but after the action was complete, he'd turned to look at Sanji oddly. The blonde by then had left the room and so Zoro had returned to his food, but when Sanji returned, he mimicked the look from before.

Since he'd arrived, the cook hadn't exactly been the greatest host and would often lose his temper or lash out at Zoro when he got out of hand and ended up breaking something or hurting Nami. From what Zoro could tell though, his whole attitude had changed. He seemed to be much calmer and collected and even seemed _nicer_. Sanji hadn't missed the look and had returned it with an even gaze of his own before asking quietly if Zoro was finished. Zoro seemed to hesitate. He wasn't hungry, but Sanji didn't like him leaving food…

"You don't have to eat it all now..." Sanji had then said, shocking Zoro, who was used to the blonde giving an angry reaction when he couldn't eat his food, "I can put it in the fridge and heat it up later if you like."

Zoro had given a hesitant nod to that before slowly getting up and backing out of the room, throwing a curious glance over his shoulder. Sanji smirked a little as Zoro disappeared from view. That had been the first time Zoro had looked at him without a trace of fear. Suddenly it dawned on him, that whiel Nami was upstairs crying her heart out, nobody else would be there to look out for Zoro if _he_ didn't. The thought crossed his mind for a fleeting moment that Zoro was the actual reason they were _in_ this predicament, but then common sense had spoken up. Zoro had grown attached to them, that much was obvious. Why would he try to hurt Nami by purposely trying to cause her to have a miscarriage? For a while Sanji had thought he would do it out of jealously, thinking he would be discarded when the new baby arrived, but it had become painfully obvious that, that was not the case. Zoro had hardly known how babies were made, let alone the complication that could arise from pregnancy.

Sanji had decided to put his blame aside. Nobody _was_ to blame in this, and even if it was Zoro's fault, it wasn't intentional. Soon he found himself pouring more and more effort into 'rehabilitating' Zoro. Teaching him to shower and shave properly, showing him how to mix and match clothes and starting him on the basics of learning. It seemed to come natural, and somehow, he found that the grief that had left him numb at first, wanting to just curl up like Nami had and cry until the pain had all leaked out with the tears, was slowly draining away. His mind had no time to dwell on the loss, on the fact that his dream of being a father had been destroyed, because suddenly, he _was_ a father. Teaching Zoro was like raising a child. You had to take things slow and easy, keep your temper in check and make sure to praise him when he did right. It was, to say the least, an enlightening experience for Sanji. Especially when Zoro became more and more vocal, instead of just watching him and nodding, or shaking his head or any of the signals he used to make. He... trusted Sanji now, and for some reason... that acheivement, meant everything to the blonde haired chef. He'd never really thought about how... trust, was such a delicate thing. And how it could be so abused and misused. After all Zoro had been through, and simply because Sanji had _tried_... Zoro trusted him.

When Nami had finally started to come out of her depression, she'd tried to keep her distance, but Sanji had wanted to share the relief, the sheer pleasure of helping Zoro, so that maybe, just maybe, Nami could recover like he had. And she had... It had taken a while, but, she had always been a little motherly towards Zoro... and now with this new realisation, it made her even more so. Just like Sanji, she placed her affections for her unborn child onto the teen. And she found it funny to no end, when Sanji and her would just smile at Zoro, and he would look confused as hell as to why they were doing it. Zoro had been a life line to them in that time, a substitute for the baby they lost, but now... he was gone and once again, Sanji was left to dwell on the fact that it was _his _fault.

Nami was still talking, he suddenly realised, telling him about the standards of the hospital and how disgusted she was, asking him when he would be enrolling in the classes to take the course that Leith had suggested.

_Never_ he wanted to tell her, but knew she would be upset if he did. Really did she honestly think they would help? What more could he learn in some shitty classes that he hadn't learnt already from first hand experience with Zoro? They knew nothing _about _Zoro, and what he was like... He and Nami alone knew what triggered those panic attacks, what triggered his violent side, and how to calm him down. Well, most times. Sighing audibly this time, he turned his face to stare out of the window and Nami bit her lips, rubbing at one of her eyes as it welled up with tears, not wanting Sanji to see lest he feel _more_ guilt about making her cry.

She had never felt this worried about him before. He'd always been so strong and indestructible to her; her knight in shining armour. It sounded corny and she knew it, but it was true. Sanji had been the one to offer to share a house when she'd wanted to move away from her parents, he'd been the one to offer her an easy job with good pay as an accountant of his restaurant and he'd been the one that had looked after her and taught her so many things, answering to her every beck and call happily, and yet here he was, a shadow of his normal self, withering away in front of her eyes, and it seemed nothing she was trying was working to bring him back...

Hadn't he heard her when she'd told him Zoro had apologised? Had he even believed her? From the looks of it no. But what could she do? He had blatantly refused to come with her to visit him, and he was too strong for her to drag him. At least, he was for the moment... Even when she had _begged_ he had refused. She wasn't used to it, not at all. Sanji had never refused her anything before and to be blatantly honest, she didn't like it. She felt the anger bubble up, but kept it at bay. The last thing Sanji needed was her angry at him. Sighing she stood up from the spot on the floor she'd taken opposite her boyfriend.

"Will you be cooking dinner tonight?" she asked softly, ginger hair shadowing her over bright eyes.

The chef gave a minute shake of his head. No. He wouldn't be cooking. Cooking made him happy, and he didn't deserve to be happy. Not after what he'd caused. Sighting softly, Nami walked out of the room, rubbing furiously at her eyes as soon as she was out of Sanji's view. Hopefully... she would get him to eat something today at least.

---

Zoro flinched slightly as the door to his room gave a harsh click, echoing in the silence around him. The silence was good... silence had always been accepted as reasonable at the orphanage, so the click... it was a breaking of that acceptance. A breaking of the rules... And a breaking of those rules, which in Zoro's mind led to horrid things... Hence the flinch. Slowly the door creaked open, whereupon doctor Leith walked in, smiling that infuriating smile that made him want to rip the man's face off. But no, he couldn't think like that, or he would only end up getting angry and then he would be sedated. He'd learnt from the 'good' doctor that he had been classified as extremely dangerous, and was to be handled with care and caution. Really he had no clue why such a description had been titled to himself, as he had yet to display one out of line action yet!...well, there was that one time, but it had been the nurse's fault! She'd let the door slam and it had been dark! ... Nami and Sanji would have known that it wasn't his fault. He'd really only just _begun _to think on how accustomed he had become to having them around, having them talk to him, and just generally look after him. And Luffy too... He missed Luffy... more than he was willing to admit.

"And how are you feeling today Zoro?" the doctor asked in a professional tone, clipboard and pen in hand.

"I'm okay." Zoro replied quietly. Another thing he'd learnt was that they didn't tolerate silence as an answer here. It confused the heck out of him, because Alvida had always wanted silence, and Nami and Sanji took his silence as being that something was wrong, whereupon they would try and help.

"Would you react violently if I were to step closer to you?"

"No."

Nodding, Leith moved closer, and true to his word, Zoro stayed sitting on the edge of the bed, rigid as a log with his eyes fixed on the man in front of him. Ever since he'd first seen him, there'd been a sense of…. Déjà vu around him. Had he seen him before maybe? But he didn't think he'd ever seen a doctor. Alvida certainly hadn't ever sent him to a doctor! Nami and Sanji never had…so, why?

"Good." Leith continued, moving over so he was mere inches from Zoro and reaching up a hand to the teen's face, lifting back his eyelids to look into his eyes.

Zoro tensed further and gripped his hands onto the bed frame, swallowing and forcing himself not to pant. Leith was too close, but he couldn't show it or he'd be sedated.

Forcing himself to remain perfectly still, he tied to focus on something, anything else but the man in front of him, but with that

Hand in front of his face, touching his skin and so close to his eyes, all he could keep focused on _was_ the hand, and so he stared at the weathered skin intently, tracing the cracks and creases, committing them to memory, anything to take his mind away from the touch on his face. Finally his eyes trailed stop as he spotted a deep scar on the doctors palm, directly where his thumb joined. It was odd in shape and looked almost like… a star… and so oddly familiar. The doctor seemed to notice his gaze as he suddenly moved the hand away, using his other to carry out the tests. Zoro blinked, his eyes narrowing.

"I've seen that before…" he muttered, almost inaudibly.

"What was that?" Leith asked, "Speak up boy."

"I've seen _you_ before…" Zoro muttered out again, his eyes raising to fix on Leith's own, "I remember you…"

"What are you talking about?" the doctor asked with a snort, "Surely I would remember somebody with such a … _unique_ hair colour?"

"I do… I remember you…" Zoro continued, unperturbed by the doctors denial, "You're face was difference and… you didn't wear glasses… I asked if a star fell on your hand and if that's why you had that scar..."

The doctor stared at Zoro with narrowed eyes, a scowl set on his face and a look of annoyance flashing in his eyes.

"Don't talk nonsense!" he snapped lightly.

Zoro didn't so much as flinch. Under normal circumstances, somebody using that tone of voice with him would have sent him scampering away, but now, everything seemed almost dream like. Flashes were sparking through his mind as his eyes became unfocused.

_"And what's your name then young man?"_

_"Zoro! Ro-ro-no-a Zoro!" the little boy replied, seeming very proud that he had pronounced it correctly._

_"Well, isn't that an interesting name?"_

Zoro blinked, the man before him seeming to fade away to be replaced by a much younger, much kinder looking man. The scowl was replaced with a warm smile and the annoyance in his eyes faded away.

_"What's your name mister doctor?"_

_"You can call me doctor Leith, Roronoa Zoro"_

_"And you can call me Zoro!"_

_"Okay then, Zoro" Leith smiled "And can you tell me how old you are?"_

_"This many!" the little boy grinned, holding up two fingers but then blinking and sticking up a third, the smile returning in full bloom. _

_"Three?" Leith asked, waiting for Zoro to nod before noting down the answer, "Well, you're all grown up then aren't you?"_

_"Where's my mummy and daddy? Will they be coming to pick me up soon? Is this like when I go to school?"_

_"Zoro…"_

The green haired teen felt his eyes well up with tears at the memory. He hated crying, crying was forbidden and ended him up in trouble, but he remembered the feeling and it wouldn't go away, just like back then.

_"I want my mummy! She's not dead! My doggy died, but mummy's and daddy's don't!"_

_"I'm sorry Zoro but they do. You and you're mummy and daddy were in a very bad accident…"_

_"But __**I'm**__okay!"_

_"I'm very sorry Zoro…"_

The tears slipped from his eyes without warning and a choked sob escaped Zoro's throat as he tried his best to blink them away, but for once he just couldn't seem to stop.

"You were the one… who told me…" the teen sobbed out, "You told me… they were… dead…"

"You're delirious boy, it looks like we'll need to change those pills and try another combination." Leith tutted, scribbling down some notes onto his notepad and looking rather frustrated.

"Even the scratching is the same." Zoro muttered, "You would ask me questions and write a lot… I remember… scrippy scrappy, scrippy scrappy… I think I laughed…"

"Zoro, stop this!" the doctor demanded, finishing up his notes, "I have never seen you before in my entire life! Stop being so stupid!"

"You were the one…"

_"Where are we going?" Zoro asked, looking up wide eyed as he walked hand in hand with the doctor that had been taking care of him for the past four weeks. With no other home, and his injuries from the accident still needing to be tended to, Zoro had been in his care. It had been kind of fun too! _

_"Well Zoro, the hospital tried very hard to look for any family of yours, but we couldn't find any."_

_"Oh… so am I gonna live with you then?"_

_"No, no…" the doctor laughed, "They have special places for children who don't have any family left."_

_"They do?"_

"Yes, it's called an orphanage, and nice men and women take care of you there."

_"But… I want _my_ mummy and daddy…" Zoro protested as a pout slipped onto his lips, "I don't want a new mummy and daddy…"_

_"I know that Zoro, but you're still too little to be left on your own, and they'll take good care of you here." the doctor replied, climbing the steep stone steps to the orphanage and helping Zoro up as the little boy could only seem to take one step at a time._

_"Will you come visit?"_

_"…maybe."_

_Zoro took a tighter hold of Leith's hand as the man led him to the large door and as soon as he knocked, the little boy ducked behind his arm as if that would hide him from view._

_"Come now Zoro, there's nothing to be afraid of."_

_"But…" Zoro moved to protest, but stopped in his tracks as he spotted a large scar on his doctor friends' hand and stared at it almost mesmerised, raising his other hand to trace around the edges before a smile crept onto his lips and he looked up, almost in wonder, "It looks like a star!"_

_"Hm?" Leith noised, following Zoro's gaze before smiling slightly himself, "I suppose it does, doesn't it?"_

_"Yeah!" Zoro agreed with an enthusiastic nod, "Do you have it because a star fell on your hand?"_

_"Maybe," the doctor laughed lightly and then his attention was torn away as the large door finally opened..._

"You were the one…"

"I was what?" Leith asked, obviously getting quite irate with the green haired teen as his lips twitched further downwards.

"You were the one… who brought me to that place…"

_A sleek and pale woman leaned around the side of the door, the frown on her face vanishing as she saw who was there and what he had brought with him._

_"Oh, doctor," she practically purred, "What a pleasant surprise!"_

"I beg your pardon?" Leith replied, now openly glaring at Zoro, "I would refrain from making such open accusations if I were you, young man."

"But you were…" Zoro muttered, blinking slowly as the tears dried up and his eyes widened, "You were the one who brought me to _**her!**_"

"I don't know _what_ you're on about" Leith spat out, "If you don't stop this nonsense at once, I'm afraid I'll have to call the nurses to sedate you!"

"It was you…"

_"And who do we have here?" the woman cooed, leaning down to Zoro's level, her ruby red lips twisting into a smile._

_Zoro stayed silent, staring at the woman uncertainly._

_"Don't be rude, Zoro, tell the lady your name."_

_"…Zoro." the little boy finally forced out quietly, clutching Leith's hand for dear life. He didn't like her... not one bit. Her eyes were cold and dark and all sparkly like those shiny rocks he used to find at home. _

_"Zoro? How cute…" the woman smiled, "My name is Alvida. I'll be the one taking care of you from now on."_

_Alvida then turned her back, calling out for her assistant, Buggy. He soon turned up at the door and Zoro blinked curiously up at the man._

_"Why do you have a big red nose?" he asked innocently, but Buggy didn't seem to pleased with the question. He didn't grace the little boy with an answer and merely turned to his boss._

_"Please take the new boy, Zoro, to his room, won't you?" she asked, her eyes glinting maliciously, "I need to _repay_ the doctor for his kind services."_

_"Of course." Buggy smirked, reaching out and taking a hold of Zoro's free hand, tugging him towards the door and leading him down the hallway as Zoro gazed nervously over his shoulder at the fast disappearing form of his doctor friend._

_"Doctor Leith!" he called out, and Buggy stopped as the doctor turned to regard the boy, halfway through pulling off his tie as Alvida removed his jacket._

_"What is it, Zoro?" the doctor called back, sounding a little snappy at being interrupted._

_"…you'll come and visit… right?"_

_"We may see each other again some day, Zoro."_

_And with that, Alvida took the doctor's arm leading him down a bright and polished hallway towards her quarters as Buggy continued tugging Zoro, now not so gently down the darker hallway._

_"Do you read bed time stories here?" Zoro asked quietly, looking up at the clown-like man holding his wrist with wide eyes._

_"No way kid." The man smirked, "You'll be lucky if you get dinner!"_

_"But doctor Leith said-"_

_"That Leith guy?" Buggy snorted, "He's been bringing kids here for years. He recommends this place for all the orphans of accidents and has a good setup with the social services. In return he gets some 'quality' time with Alvida. A pretty good setup!"_

_Zoro tilted his head, not understanding at all and frowned a little._

_"I don't like it here!" he whined, "It's dark and scary!"_

_"Tough kid." Buggy smirked, "This is the beginning of the end for you."_

_Once again Zoro blinked, not understanding in the slightest as he was continued to be dragged down the old and dusty hallway, disappearing into the darkness._

"It was you…" Zoro whispered in horror before his wide and shocked eyes narrowed into slits, his hands balling into fists and his teeth grinding, "**YOU BASTARD, IT WAS YOU!!**"

And with that Zoro lunged at the doctor, slugging him hard across the face and grappling with him on the ground. Within seconds, other nurses and doctors had swarmed into the room and surrounded Zoro, working together to pull him off and hold him down long enough to inject him with the sedative. The last thing Zoro saw before his world faded to black, was Leith's face staring down at him with an angry sneer across his lips.

Leith watched as Zoro's consciousness faded and ran a hand through his hair to smooth back any bits out of place.

"What nonsense!" he stated, "The boy is obviously delirious. If he tries to tell any of you about this again, please make a note of it and sedate him right away. This can't be allowed to go on and he's a danger to both himself and those around him. He'll have to be incapacitated before he becomes too aggressive. The boy is trying to slander my good name. Also, please change the pills he's being given to a stronger dosage. The current dosage doesn't seem to be making any difference to his aggressive nature."

The nurses remaining in the room, nodded at the orders and quickly moved to make a change in Zoro's notes for future reference. Leith sent one more look Zoro's way as they were the only two left in the room and grimaced.

_Alvida..._ he mentally scolded, _I told you to be more careful!_

---

A week after Nami's first visit with Zoro found history repeating itself as Leith led Luffy down the stone path and up the steep steps to the orphanage, stopping as he did each time, at the large doors. Luffy simply looked around curiously, wondering where he was.

"Where's Nami? When can I go home?" he asked.

Leith smiled down at him, and Luffy blinked straight back. He felt strange inside when that doctor guy looked at him like that. Kind of like he was boxed in and being watched, like no matter what he said, it didn't matter to this guy like it did to Nami, Sanji and Zoro. He wished he could see them…

"You're not going home. These people are going to treat you nice, and they're going to look after you!" Leith replied, careful to leave out any mention of Nami, or Luffy's other friends.

Pouting, Luffy looked up at him again. Not going home? But... he liked it with Nami, Sanji and Zoro! They were all so nice! And he wanted to give Zoro one of his what he'd deemed, 'special hugs'. Because Luffy couldn't hug Zoro properly, and because he wanted to make Zoro happy about having his own individual hug, he'd named it the 'special hug'. Zoro seemed to like that. He'd seemed pretty sad last time he'd seen him… maybe it would make him feel better?

"But, I want to go home…" he said, as though Leith didn't understand how important it was to him. Really, he was still quite sick and he wanted to go back to Nami, who'd hug him and make him feel better, and he wanted to see Zoro so badly! And Sanji! Sanji would make him laugh, and Zoro would play with him! He missed them all so much...

"You can't go home. You need to be looked after." Leith replied, smiling soundly, "Your friends may come and visit one day." but he seriously doubted it. It was best if Luffy was left alone by those… kids. Honestly, how could they expect to take care of these boy's when they led lifestyles filled with booze and who knows what else? At least here, he knew Luffy would be taught to act his age.

Luffy lowered his head, knowing that voice very well. It was certainly nicer, but, he knew the tone. It was the 'shut up' voice. He'd probably gone and said something stupid again. Leith sighed at Luffy as he raised his free hand and knocked on the door. He didn't get this kid at all. He was strange. Same as he didn't get Zoro. Both of them were massive enigmas. There was the sound of a catch sliding back and then the door opened a crack and a beautiful woman with ruby red lips, and a made up face peeked out. She smiled sweetly as she saw who was on the other side and sidled out the door wearing a shirt that only went to just below her chest, and a pair of tight pants.

"Oh, hello Doctor!" she called in a honeyed voice, "I see you're doing well." and she turned her eyes to Luffy, "And who is this charming young man?" Leith smiled in return.

"Alvida…" he said in a slightly goofy tone before clearing his throat, "This is Monkey D Luffy, the boy I was telling you about." Luffy looked up in a slightly hesitant way, watching Alvida carefully. She smelled funny… like some sort of weird flowery stuff. It was making his nose twinge, and he thought she was weird with all those colours on her face.

"Oh!" Alvida replied with obviously fake surprise, "How nice!" and she smiled, "How old is he again?"

"Sixteen." Leith replied, his gaze drawn to her shirt as Alvida bent over slightly and inspected Luffy carefully. Shaking his head, Leith turned away.

"Sixteen… wow…well, why don't you come in Luffy? I'll have Buggy lead you to your room whilst doctor Leith and I clear up the 'business' side of things." and she looked up at him and batted her eyelashes. Leith, who was still blushing and flustered, nodded as he adjusted his tie a little. Luffy moved into the orphanage without protest, looking around interestedly as he did so.

"Oh, Doctor Leith, how _is _Zoro, by the way?" she asked innocently, but her eyes sparkled with sarcasm.

"He's doing well. Responding very nicely, though I'm sure we can talk about this more in private."

"Of course" the woman cooed, before calling out for Buggy and giving Luffy a light shove in the clown-like man's direction as he showed up, "New boy. Show him to his room. Leith and I have some things to discuss before we get down to 'business'."

Buggy nodded and slowly led Luffy away, tugging the boy each time he stopped to inspect something until finally they were out of sight. Leith turned to Alvida with a light glare.

"The boy _remembers_ me, Alvida." He stated bluntly, "He knows I was the one who brought him here!"

"So what?" the woman replied, "He's in a _mental_ institution! Who would believe his word over yours?!"

"They might not believe him, but some fool might just decide to look into it if he causes too much commotion!" Leith spat back, "This would have never happened if you could learn to control yourself!"

"What can I say?" Alvida smirked, "He was fun to toy with."

With a heavy sigh, the doctor slumped down into one of the plush chairs in the public area and gazed solidly up at Alvida.

"You seriously screwed that boy up, Alvida."

"So get me custody of him and I'll make sure he never speaks again!" the woman snapped, starting to get agitated with the doctor's lecture.

"I might just do that, but for now things are fine. If he makes so much as one wrong noise I'll have him sedated."

Alvida smirked and moved over, long legs sliding across the couch to straddle the doctor's hips.

"Well then," she purred, "If that's all we had to talk about, why not get down to 'business'?"

---

That night, when Leith had finally left, Alvida decided to pay a visit, as she always did, to the 'new kid'. She had no idea what he knew, or if he knew what to expect, being friends with Zoro and all, but she would make sure this one would say nothing either. She had too good a set up going on for it to be ruined by two stupid little children. She wouldn't let them ruin it, even if it meant she had to get rid of them.

Entering the room, she sneered as she saw the boy asleep. It was after lights out, so it was where he was supposed to be, but this was unusual. Normally the new comers would be too afraid or nervous to go straight to sleep on their first night. Walking over to the bed, she smirked as she saw several flinches around the other beds in the room at the clicking of her heels. She stopped at his bedside and removing a delicate foot, stamped it down on his back. To her utter shock, he merely let out a grunt and continued to sleep. Repeating the action, she blinked in shock as he didn't so much as stir. After several attempts at shaking, hitting and even scratching the boy, she finally decided to call it a night. She would give him his 'greeting' in the morning.

---

Nami sighed and lowered her hand in defeat. This was her third attempt to feed Sanji today, but the blonde was having none of it. He hadn't eaten in almost a week now and looked awful, and smelt just as bad. The least she could be thankful for was that he didn't resist when she washed him, it was just a case of managing to drag him _to_ the shower that was the problem. She'd called out their local doctor, who had diagnosed Sanji with severe depression and prescribed him some pills to keep him calm and help his mind wander away from the things he was so obviously negatively focused upon. He didn't put up much of a fight taking the pills and due to their 'numbing' affect of his mind, he was usually pretty compliant with things such as eating and washing afterwards, but this time, he was outright refusing.

She lifted his chin and gazed into his unfocused eyes sadly. The Sanji she knew was on holiday somewhere far, far away and had left this impostor in his stead. She so badly wanted him back, but nothing she tried seemed to be working. With another sigh she run a thumb over his bristly cheek and couldn't help the twitch of her lips.

"I guess I have to shave you again, eh?" she whispered, "You know I won't kiss you if you have stubble…"

Yet again she received no response and gently lowered his head back down, standing and heading out of the door. Sanji truly was a mess right now. His weight had plummeted and his face was starting to become sunken. She couldn't help but imagine the worst. Two weeks ago at the start of his depression, they'd made love for the first time in a long time. Nami had hoped it would lift his spirits a little, being able to be with her, but it seemed to only dampen them further, another reminder that he could only _do_ these things because their boys weren't there. Just a month ago, Sanji had been so playful and fit and healthy, and now, if he continued on this path, she couldn't see him lasting the month.

That thought brought a fresh shine of tears to her eyes as she washed up the dishes, quickly swiping them away, and when a few stray tears escaped, blaming them on the soap suds she'd accidentally wiped in her eyes, even though the water didn't have any washing up liquid in it yet. Looking out at the full moon, a small, sad smile graced her lips as she remembered when Sanji had coaxed Zoro into howling with him at it one night and they'd gotten their first smile from him. She wondered how he was now. Was he sleeping? Was he tired or hungry? Was he cold or lonely? And what about Luffy? Letting out one more sigh, she finished the washing up and wiped her hands dry, walking purposefully to the fridge and pulling out Sanji's untouched dinner. Tonight, _one_ of them would be eating this.

Sadly, she had a feeling it would be her.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Clarobell: So, did you like it? Was it what you expected?? Did we surprise you? **

Plushie: Reviews would be appreciated. :) 


	23. Past Visions

**Clarobell: Okay guys, listen up, got some important stuff to say. The most important is that details from here on out shouldn't be taken too seriously. Neither Plushie nor myself have much knowledge about adoption, court cases, police matters and hospital/medical stuff mmk? This is just a fanfic for us to entertain you and to try and practice our writing skills. I know a lot of you are trying to help by pointing out this is wrong and that is wrong, but really, we already knew it was. It's just a fanfic, mmk? Our lives are really too busy right now to be getting all the details correct. Hope that clears a few things up. Also, apologies for any late updates, were almost out of advance chapters now and we're getting to a part in the fic that needs a LOT of revision. Sorry again.**

**Plushie: Yeah, all that stuff she said. Along with my own version. We have made this abundantly clear at the beginning of the fic, but I'll say it again. This is OUR story. We don't care that you guys point out what's wrong, that's fine. Just, at the very least, say whether you do like it or not. If you don't, that's fine. It's not everyone's cup of tea. On with the chapter. **

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 23: Past Visions**_

The next morning found Luffy waking up early as usual to start his chores. To his surprise, most of the other children were up as well and already getting dressed. Did they have to do chores too? Shrugging it off, he quickly got dressed, following the other children's example of not having a shower (as much as he loved hot showers) and getting ready to work, but as he moved out of the room, a sharp tug brought him face to face with the lady he'd seen yesterday. Blinking, he tried to pull away, but found she just held on tighter and so stayed still, waiting to see what would happen.

"Morning, baby." she cooed, pulling him off and out of the way of the others so she could have a better look at him. None of the other children bothered to even _look _at the newcomer, too tired and weary to worry about anything other than getting to their work, and avoiding getting a punishment.

"Morning!" Luffy replied cheerfully, not fazed in the slightest at being called a baby. Alvida didn't seem happy with this response though as her fake smile twisted into an irritated frown. Huffing in annoyance, she crossed her arms and looked the teen in front of her up and down.

"Well, there's not much to you," she spat, "I don't see how Zoro could like you! He only lingers around people he thinks can protect him from _me_!"

A sharp laugh followed that statement and Luffy's cheerful demeanour faded. That wasn't like Zoro. Not at all. Zoro didn't hang around him and Sanji and Nami just so they could protect him. He was his friend! ...wasn't he?

"Lady, how do you know Zoro?" he asked curiously. Alvida looked down at him, and her eyes turned suddenly and unexpectedly cold as a large smirk lit up her face and she leaned down to him. Her fingernails were digging into his shoulder painfully, and her teeth glinted as cold, green eyes stared silently into his own.

"Let's just say, he was a good little toy to play with." and she laughed nastily. Luffy tilted his head, not understanding the meaning of 'toy'.

"Zoro's not a toy. He's a person." he muttered, confused and then he blinked and looked up at her again, "How could he be a toy?" 

"Simple..." and then she laughed. She knew how to get these kids to react to her. But Zoro had been the hardest one to break, once she had done it though... Ooh what fun she'd had. It was also good because the rest of the children in the orphanage didn't like Zoro either, so she got to watch him be tortured by everyone else, and then got to do it herself. They thought he was weird, creepy and a little insane, so they avoided him. Alvida had had a LOT of fun with Zoro, and she hadn't found another kid quite like him. Which was disappointing. She wished she had her 'toy' back at times.

"Lady? Are you alright?" Luffy asked, peering up at her. Alvida looked back to him, her smirk turning to a snarl.

"Never you mind." she snapped, "Now, let's have a look at you." and she stalked around him, a hand behind her back as she mumbled things about him under her breath. Luffy shivered at the coldness around him and gave a small cough as his eyes drooped.

"I'm sleepy…" he mumbled. Alvida raised an eyebrow and then frowned nastily.

"Still sick eh? No time for that!" she barked harshly as she grabbed his ear and pulled it painfully. Luffy flinched and bowed his head as Alvida let go.

"Yes ma'am." he said quickly.

Alvida smiled nastily again, placing her hands on her hips. This one was already obedient. Good. Most of the kids that came weren't obedient when they showed up... but it didn't take long for her to beat the sense into them. It'd been the most fun doing that to Zoro. Frowning down at Luffy, she crossed her arms.

"Now, can you clean?" She asked. Luffy nodded in response, "Good! Come along!" and she moved down the hall, slapping the children out of her way as she did so. It didn't matter that they weren't even _in _her way to begin with. Luffy trotted after her, wondering what he'd done to make Nami, Sanji and Zoro mad enough that they'd send him here.

---

It was dark now… The ward was quiet, so silent. But silence was good. At least he could think now. The sedation had worn off a while ago, leaving him more tired than what he had been before Leith had come in. Before he had recognised and realised who he was. What he had done. It… didn't matter anymore though. There was nothing he could do to change what had happened.

Sighing a little, Zoro opened his eyes and stared at the small window in the door, the dim light from outside his room, shining through it. He had bothered to move from his spot on the floor where the nurses had left him. Hadn't moved a single muscle, just like he used to do in the orphanage after a particularly nasty beating. The orphanage… Green eyes narrowed minimally as he tried to remember something, _anything _about his parents. Trying to take his mind away from that place. There was… something… Shifting a little, Zoro closed his eyes and furrowed his brow, trying to bring those memories to the surface.

"_Daddy!" _

There… that was something. There was someone just on the very edge of his conscious. He could take that and if he pressed enough he could almost see… a pair of dark green eyes, like his own but narrower, and… happier. They weren't men's eyes though. Another push and finally, he could remember vague flashes of something, no… some_one_.

"_Zoro… what are you doing?" a soft voice asked, and slowly Zoro turned, a small and nervous smile on his face. He was barely taller than the chairs around the table but, if he reached, he could grab the cookies sitting on the bench top! Mummy made great cookies! _

"_Come on, your mother will be angry if you get some of those before your dinner tonight." and a tall man crouched down in front of him, brown eyes shadowed beneath light green bangs. They were calm, kind and gentle. He loved Daddy's eyes! _

"_Sorry, Daddy." Zoro replied, chuckling a little nervously before he blinked as hands wrapped around his ribs and lifted him up and onto a pair of high, and wide shoulders. Now he was… he wasn't in the kitchen anymore. He was outside, in a park somewhere. He was still on those shoulders but now… instead of being in a room, he was surrounded by trees. There was a swing in front of him too! Swings and slides, and and… a sand box! Wooow! Awesome! _

"_Down, Daddy! Zoro want down! Pwease?" Zoro chirped, bouncing slightly and pumping his fists in the air. There was a loud laugh and then Zoro found himself latching on to the green hair which was shaggy and fluffy. Like his own! They were speeding towards the slide… but… weren't getting any closer. _

"_No! You're not going to turn the house into an office, _father_!" that… was Mummy's voice. What was she yelling about? They memory had changed again, and he was sitting in the back seat of a car. _

"_I have to, _mother_! I won't be able to work properly and be home with Zoro if I'm ALWAYS at the office! Right, Zoro?" and Daddy turned to look at him. Zoro blinked a little before smiling and nodding. _

"_Yeah! Daddy should be home, Mummy! To play with me! And have fun! Ha ha!" he agreed. His mother turned to him, one green eye half shadowed by a cherry blonde bang that had fallen over her face due to her anger. _

"_Don't bring Zoro into this! He's just a little kid! He only wants his father around!" Mummy yelled back and Zoro blinked a little and tilted his head as something flashed in front of them. It was red, and high up. It was a… ooh, daddy taught him this… Ah! A traffic light! Yeah! A red one! He liked red, but green was better! _

"_Daddy!" he chirped, but his father wasn't listening. _

"_And THAT'S what I'm trying to do!" he yelled back, glaring at Mummy. _

"_Daddyyyy!" Zoro whined, bouncing a little and pointing ahead. _

"_It SOUNDS like you're trying to bring work home and be a stuffy work-a-holic! I told you when I married you, I'm not standing for you working all the time!" Mummy yelled and Daddy growled slightly and took one hand from the wheel to point at mummy. _

"_DADDY!" Zoro yelled, his brow furrowing angrily. They weren't _listening _to him!  
_

"_WHAT IS IT, ZORO!?" Daddy yelled, glaring at him and Zoro blinked back at him. _

"_Tree." he responded simply, pointing ahead. _

Zoro grimaced slightly as the memory sped up dangerously fast. No longer was it a smooth stream of thoughts. It was choppy and came in flashes. He remembered… Mummy screaming, Daddy yelling… and then a loud bang. Smoke, flashing lights… and… blood. Lots of blood. Mummy's hair was red with it… and Daddy wasn't moving. And his arm hurt, really really badly. He was… crying… and then there was men around the car, in glowing yellow suits. Fire… hands pulling him out… Mummy and Daddy were still in the car! Snapping his eyes open, Zoro panted slightly, his eyes wide.

So… that's what had happened.

Slowly, he sat up and scratched a hand over his face, forcing those tears away. He didn't want to remember anymore. Shifting up to the bed, he sighed as he lay down and pulled the scratchy, white and sterile smelling sheet over him. He wanted… Nami and Sanji. Pressing the side of his face into his pillow, he let out a soft sigh that was mixed with a very quiet whine. He _really _wanted Nami and Sanji, and Luffy! Luffy… He would be trapped in that horrible orphanage, and the worst part about it was… Zoro knew exactly the kinds of torment Luffy would be put through. Closing his eyes slowly, Zoro SO wished he hadn't run away… hadn't caused Nami's mis… miscarr… oh, whatever that word was. He didn't really care right now.

He flinched a little as he remembered Sanji yelling that he should clean up Luffy's mess… but Nami had told him not to. He wanted to help but, Nami had said that for now, to let it be and just keep Luffy company. Keep him happy and entertained, so, as with anything Nami and Sanji asked him to do, he took the request with a seriousness and dedication that he had always put forward. It was the least he could do to repay Nami and Sanji for looking after him. For… putting up with him. He felt so… sad, now, about what he had said to Sanji before leaving. It wasn't Sanji's fault after all. It was _Leith's _fault. It was just another reason to hate the bastard, and… be more afraid of him.

If this was what happened when he did those things to Leith; when he lost control then… He would have to make sure he didn't lose himself anymore. Didn't let himself get angry or, sad, or… anything. Almost like Luffy. He would be nothing but happy. Once again, Luffy had cropped up in his mind. The poor kid… He must be so alone right now, and cold, and he was still sick! He needed to be looked after, not stuffed in a horrible place like the orphanage. Sighing softly, Zoro began to let himself fall asleep. One thing about the sedation, it made him too tired for common nightmares… Though as the night wore on, Zoro found that tonight was gonna be one of _those _nights. Obviously, he had pushed his memory too hard before…

"_Get up!" a snappy voice made Zoro jump in the smelly bed and he blinked a little as he woke up again, "Come on, up! Now!" That Buggy guy had left him in here and he had fallen asleep on the nearest bed he could find. _

"_Mm… Mummy?" Zoro blinked, rubbing at his eyes with a hand and blinking up as someone leant down over him. That… wasn't Mummy. It was a lady, but… _

"_No, brat… I'm not your mother thank _god_." the woman snapped, a smirk twisting her ruby red lips. Zoro blinked a little more before he sat up, eyeing her a little worriedly before he smiled anyway and shrugged. _

"_Okay! Are you a friend then? Is Doctor Leith coming back? Ooh! Am I going home now?" he asked, his eyes lighting up. _

"_Of _course _I'm your friend little one. Leith isn't coming back, and yes, you'll be going home tomorrow." she smiled, her cold features brightening a little as she did so. Zoro brightened happily._

"_Really? Wow! A new friend! What's your name?" he asked, scrambling from the bed to grin up at the woman before him. He let out a frightened squeak though as a hand snapped out and fingers dug into his cheeks, cutting so deeply that it caused him to bleed and his eyes to water. _

"_My name is Alvida, _brat. _And trust me… I am anything BUT your friend…" she hissed, her eyes narrowing in sadistic pleasure as Zoro let out a soft sob. _

"_Alvi-" but he barely got the name out before he was thrown to the side to smack harshly against the wall, squealing in both shock and pain as he slid down and held his still sore arm. _

"_Wh-what was that for!?" he whimpered, tears starting to really run down his cheeks now. He sniffed a little, trying to get rid of them. Daddy had always said not to cry, to be tough. To be strong like him! So, he had to be. So Daddy could be proud of him! _

"_THAT was for being a little BRAT! And saying my name without permission!" Alvida hissed, stalking over to him and grabbing his hair, pulling him roughly and mercilessly to his feet. He squealed again in pain as he felt strands separate from his head. _

"_Ouch! Why are you being so mean?" He whined as he was suddenly pulled along. Alvida paused and her hand clenched even tighter on his head as she crouched down in front of him, a long and thin smirk stretching across her freckled face. _

"_Because… I like it. It's fun. And you little brats need to be put in line before anything can go wrong with my little setup, understand?" she replied, her voice cold and sharp edged. Zoro blinked at her before his face hardened slightly. _

"_I don't like you…" he muttered, his own small voice taking on a slightly cold edge. Alvida laughed and got to her feet again._

"_We're off to a GREAT start then, aren't we?" she responded sarcastically, jerking him forward again as nails dug into his scalp rather than pulling on his hair. Doctor Leith had left him here… he wasn't coming back! Doctor Leith had… betrayed him!!_

---

Luffy slowly scrubbed away at the filthy and crusted toilets in the decrepit old orphanage. He was actually quite surprised. From the outside, the building looked so neat and clean, and even when he'd first walked in, for the first 2 minutes, everything had sparkled and gleamed. Then he had been led to the shared room, where the children stayed. They were grouped off by age into 3 large rooms.

In the first, and smallest room, stayed the children under 5. Though dirty, the room was by far the most comfortable of the three with a little warmth and comfort. Next was a slightly bigger room, for children aged 6 – 12. Though bigger, the room was colder and generally dirtier. The dirt was by no fault of its occupants, as they were made to scrub and clean it every day, but was rather more of a build up of grime over the years. Some spots on the wall had caked on blood where as other spots on the floor were stained forever with vomit. The third room, and most worn of them all was the room where the 13 years and over stayed. Splotched with blood, sweat and vomit, one could only imagine the horrors that had taken place in that room, marked forever on the walls as if taunting the children that entered.

Luffy, though clearly belonging in the last room, had been placed by Buggy into the 5's and under room. This was due to the simple fact that there was no more beds in the 'big boy's' room for the sick boy to stay in. Alvida had been quite furious after finding this out, as had she been there, she would have made the boy sleep on the floor. Nevertheless, she planned to remedy that little problem tonight.

Something else Luffy noticed in this place was the selfishness. Every single person, whether they be child or 'carer' was out for themselves and only themselves. He'd watched as two small boys, no older than eight had fought over a crusty and hard slice of bread, one reducing the other to a bloody mess, reaping his reward only to be beaten for what he did to the other. He didn't really see the point of it. He'd rather be hungry than hurt. He could go a while without food, Gramps didn't give him food often, and from what he'd seen in the past few hours, these people didn't give much food either.

Come to think of it, this place actually reminded him of Gramps. Maybe Gramps had contacted Sanji and Nami and told them to send him here? Or maybe he'd done something stupid and they'd sent him here to punish him? But that doctor guy sad this was a place where children without families went. Did that mean he didn't have a family? Sighing in confusion, he lifted a hand to brush against the worn straw of his hat smiling a little at the familiar feel. He was glad he still had hat, because hat meant… hat meant… well, it meant something! he could vaguely remember a promise, something about leaving Gramps and being with… who? Ah, he didn't remember. He was too stupid to remember so he shouldn't think about it. That's what Gramps had said anyway.

Slowly lowering his hand, he resumed his scrubbing full force, eyes narrowing in concentration as the grime slowly lifted away. Maybe if he worked really, _really_ hard, then Nami, Sanji and Zoro would come and take him back. If they didn't, then at least he wouldn't get a beating if he got the chores done… but that heavy feeling was still in his chest – and he was _so _tired! Silently he let a yawn slip out, his eyes drooping in exhaustion before shaking his head and resuming his harsh scrubbing. He would work hard and then he wouldn't get in trouble. Maybe if he worked really hard, Zoro would come and take him away from this place. It reminded him so much of Gramps.

---

_"Damn it you little shit! Hurry the fuck up!!" snarled Gramps' voice as Luffy scrambled around, trying to stuff a couple days worth of clothes into a bag, tears welling in his eyes from panic. His small hands just couldn't seem to get the job done quick enough though and he sobbed slightly, fearing the worst. Suddenly another pair of hands joined his, bigger, but still small, calmly arranging the stuffed clothes a little better and reaching over to pet Luffy's tousled hair affectionately._

_"C'mon…" a familiar voice whispered, "Gramps is waiting. Don't want him mad, ne?"_

_Luffy nodded shakily and quickly rubbed at his face, trying to scrub away any evidence of the tears lingering in his eyes, but once again, the gentle hands stopped him, tugging his arms down to rub a small thumb over his chubby cheeks and under his eyes, effectively removing the smeared tears. The hand then reached out for Luffy's and the two year old gladly accepted it, offering a shaky smile before heading towards the door to the tiny room. Glancing over his little shoulder, he waved slightly to the numerous cats lounging around on the worn and smelly furniture._

_"Bye-bye kitties…" he whispered._

_Pleased that he'd done all the things needed to be done, he toddled out of the room and gazed up, curiosity evident in his wide eyes at the tall man in front of him. He'd seen him a few times before, but Gramps never let the man close to him before. Was he dangerous? Maybe he'd done something bad and this guy was here to punish him?_

_"Hey, boys." the new man greeted, crouching down and ignoring the snarl from Gramps behind him. He gazed between the two and smiled lovingly at them both before fixing his stare on the figure beside Luffy "Do you remember me, little guy?" he asked tentatively._

_The boy beside Luffy nodded a little and moved as if the hug the new man, but Gramps quickly put a stop to that._

_"Don't you fucking __**dare**__!" he hissed, and the young boy quickly retreated back, hunching over in fear._

_"It's okay..." the man whispered, "You're coming with me for a few days."_

_Luffy blinked curiously, looking from one person to the next in wonder. What was going on?_

"WAKE THE HELL UP!"

Luffy jerked awake, only in a light doze after falling asleep half way through cleaning the bathrooms and not in his usual deep slumber. He blinked in confusion, looking around at the filthy walls for a second before his eyes saddened. He wasn't home; he was in the place with the kids with no families. Sighing softly he looked up and blinked as he saw an unfamiliar face glaring down at him.

"Mister?" he called, "Who are you?"

The man snorted in annoyance and stood up from his bent over position, leering down at the dark haired teen.

"The name's Mohji, kid, and you better not forget it! I'm one of your 'carers' and I want to know what the _hell_ you're doing slacking off?!"

"I fell asleep." Luffy answered bluntly, blinking up at the odd man and tilting his head at his weird hairdo.

"Che, I know _that_!"

"Then why did you ask?"

"Oho! A sassy one, eh?" Mohji questioned, a smirk slithering across his lips, "Well, how about I show you what we do with your kind around here?"

Luffy blinked, no clue as to what was about to happen.

---

_Zoro stared down at the book before him, his eyes unable to figure out what was written on the page. It had been four years since he had come to this place, and he was less healthy than what he had been when he had come here. He was skinny, and pale, and his hair was always flaked with blood or dirt now. His hands were always sore, and his whole body ached like nothing he had ever experienced, but… he had dulled his mind to the pain. Had learnt to deal with it, and get over it. Though… it still hurt when Alvida hit him with that belt. When he felt something crash against the back of his head when he wasn't expecting it. _

"_Oi, brat! Hurry up and read!" Alvida snapped at him and Zoro flinched and looked up slowly, his body quivering slightly. He… couldn't! He didn't know how! How was he expected to read something that didn't make sense to him? That was... stupid! _

"_I-I…" he stuttered slightly, bowing his head over the book and squinting at the page. They were nothing but strange symbols to him. Weird and twisted lines of black ink that continued down the page seemingly forever. He knew they were… words. But, he just couldn't read them! _

"_Read!" Alvida barked again, sitting on the table at the front of the room, her legs crossed and one high heeled shoe tapping impatiently. A smirk was on her face though. As soon as Zoro said 'I can't' like he did every other time, it would be the 'punishment room' for him. She wondered what device she would use today. But her eyes widened slightly when Zoro didn't say anything. He just sat there, his head bowed and his body quivering slightly as he bunched his hands in his shirt and bit his lip._

"_I… need help… I…" he muttered and Alvida frowned before her smirk wormed it's way back across her face again as hissing voices started up from the rest of the class. _

"_You're so STUPID, Zoro! You're gonna get us ALL in trouble! Just read! It's not hard!" a dirty and pale girl hissed from the back of the class, glaring at Zoro's back. Flinching slightly, Zoro bowed his head further and bit his lip. He hated this… This weakness, this sadness he felt all the time… He couldn't remember life ever being any different anymore. _

_Sometimes, if he thought REALLY hard, then he could remember something. A soft voice... a hand on his head that didn't hurt, or didn't scratch him. Voices that weren't harsh and abusive... But, he now passed them off as being mere fantasies. Passing thoughts and whims that his mind had concocted to try and help him believe that someone cared about him once... No one cared about him. No one was coming to save him. Mummy and Daddy were dead. And there wasn't anyone else in the world who would even _bother _to care about him. Why would they? He was just too stupid, freaky, ugly, insane... and weak. Very weak. _

"_Oh just read! You can't put one word together you idiot! Look, I'll help." a boy hissed, and almost shifted over but Alvida slammed a foot down with a harsh click that made him jump back into his seat immediately and bow his head further. Zoro, who had almost been about to look up with hope, bowed his head quickly again. Slapping her own book closed, Alvida clicked her way past the children at the front of the class, a small smirk on her face as they shivered slightly, and then paused at Zoro's desk. _

_The boy before her began to shake even harder, his eyes widening as he realised what was coming. _

_"P-please... I can't read... I don't know how, I don't understand! I know I'm stupid, I just, I can't! It's too hard!" Zoro whispered, no tears in his eyes, no pleading in his voice... A voice in his head was telling him to be braver... to be stronger, to not accept his fate like he was! And really, he shouldn't! He hadn't done anything wrong! Alvida frowned a little, almost detecting his rising bravery. _

_  
"Hmm..." she noised softly and Zoro flinched, that voice fleeing in favour of letting him feel this horrid fear. That edge to her voice... it meant he would be getting one of the bad punishments tonight. The ones the other students never seemed to get. Why was he singled out like this? What... had he done wrong to deserve such treatment? _

_"P-please... I can't..." He tried once more, pleading silently for some kind of mercy. ANY mercy. The little boy... was out of luck. Alvida smirked widely at his pleading before her lips twisted and with a hard hand, she slammed his head down into the desk, breaking his nose and spraying blood everywhere. Zoro didn't make a sound though and Alvida smirked widely as she continued grinding his face down onto the table and book, fingernails digging mercilessly into the back of his head as a quiet crunching noise sounded, followed by a very soft whimper. His nose had only just recovered from the LAST time... Why was he so _stupid

"_Can't read? Well… you definitely won't be able to now. All that blood, and what not. Tsk tsk, what a mess you seem to have made here, Zoro." she tutted, leaning down beside him and smirking as she felt him shake and another small whimper made it's way from his mouth. As soon as that noise left his body, Zoro knew he was in for it. _

_"You will clean this mess up..." Alvida said quietly, a smirk on her face as she pulled her hand away from his head, "With your _tongue_. Once that's complete... you know what to do. I'll see you at seven, _brat_. That's IF you can tell the time." And she walked back to the front of the class, sniggering and leaving Zoro to shake in his seat and stay in place, blood pooling around his face but not daring to move for fear of Alvida coming back and forcing his head down again. _

_No… this Zoro was not like the child Leith had looked after way back after that car crash. Zoro was no longer a smiling, happy boy who would talk to anyone who took the time to smile at him. He was a messed up, quivering, frightened little _brat,_ who could barely talk let alone smile anymore..._

---

Luffy groaned as he forced himself back to his feet, brow furrowing in confusion at the horrified look on that Mohji guys face. He actually looked kinda scared… but why? He was only standing up again. Gramps didn't like it when he couldn't get up after a beating…

"Damn it you brat!!" Mohji hissed, "Stay the hell down!!" and with another punch, sent the dark haired teen, sprawling to the ground again. By now, Luffy's face was bruisng badly, his lip busted and several spots starting to swell, but he showed no sign of pain, not even a trace of it. It drove Mohji crazy! What was this kid made of?! Little did Mohji know, that Gramps didn't like Luffy showing pain, so Luffy would not. The less pain he showed... The less pain he received.

Slowly, swallowing back a groan, the thin boy crawled to his knees, panting a little and feeling all too hot and dizzy. His eyebrows drew together in confusion as he gazed up at the man with wide and baffled eyes. Stay down? Hadn't that been what the man had said? But… Gramps… and then Nami and Sanji had told him not to listen to Gramps… but these people were _like_ Gramps!! It was all so confusing!

"I said stay down!" Mohji bellowed, slamming his foot forward into Luffy's gut and knocking the wind from his body. Whether Luffy wanted to get up or not this time, he didn't have a choice, as he felt himself slowly slipping into blissful unconsciousness, slumping to the ground unmoving.

---

_"So boys, what do you want to do first?" the tall man from Gramps' apartment asked, leading both Luffy and the other boy into his own house._

_The young boys looked around in awe, a hint of confusion lingering in their eyes as they looked at each other. Slowly, Luffy approached the tall figure, tugging lightly on his pant leg until he had his attention._

_"What is it kiddo?"_

_"I'ma clean indows!" he spoke up._

_"You can't clean the windows, Luffy!" the older boy spoke up, "You're too little and windows are high up in this place! I'll do them and you clean the carpet, okay?"_

_Luffy nodded obediently. He wished he could speak like that, but Gramps made him do more things, so he didn't have as much time to watch TV…_

_"Whoa, whoa!" the big man spoke up, jogging around in front of the two boys as they started to move forward, intent on carrying out their designated jobs. "I meant what do you two want to do for fun? Drawing? Playing? Go outside? Catch? Tag?"_

_Luffy and the older boy shared a baffled look before turning back to the big man._

_"We're not allowed to play," The older boy stated, "We have to clean."_

_"Not here you don't…"_

"No clean…?" Luffy asked, tilting his head

_"No clean."_

---

_It was quiet. The room was silent and instead of being up the back like he had used to be, Zoro was now seated at the very front of the room. His seat and desk was isolated from the rest of the group, while they sat up the back. Some of them even talked to each other, but Zoro… was silent as ever. His head was bowed, his hair no longer green but brown with dirt, dried blood and everything else that had happened to him over the years. He was taller, lankier, thinner... But he had gained a bit of strength which helped him when cleaning. Now, he could clean a hallway in nearly half the time, which was much easier than taking over an hour and risking Alvida walk past. _

_Two weeks ago though… something horrible had happened at the orphanage. It made him so much more frightened, and nearly made him want to throw himself out of one of the higher up windows. But unlike before, he was now under constant watch from Mohji, or Cabaji. Unlike before, where he wouldn't show them the _entire _respect and fear that he did with Alvida, now... he couldn't help but shake when he saw either of them. Buggy included... The other children avoided him even more now, for when they got close to him, he would almost become wild and lash out when they least expected it. This caused Zoro to get more beatings than even before... _

"_Up, Zoro. Look up." Alvida said, her foot tapping on his desk gently. Zoro flinched, and his whole body began to shake rather violently while his hands bunched themselves in the fraying material at the base of his shirt. Slowly, very slowly he raised his blood shot eyes upwards, but they settled on the pale skin of her inner thigh and with a massive jerk, he dropped his head again. Alvida laughed softly, her eyes narrowing dangerously before she stood and moved over to him, resting a hand on his back and smirking even wider as she felt his bony frame begin to tremble so violently, the chair began to rattle on the floor. _

"_Easy there brat, you're gonna rattle a hole into the floor." She whispered, her lips bare inches from his ear. Zoro stopped instantly, his eyes clenched harshly and his teeth clamped together so tightly, that something was sure to have cracked in there _some_where. Alvida crouched beside him, her lips still close to his ear._

"_Do you hear her Zoro? Her scream… her crying and whimpering… Remember… it was _your _fault." she hissed softly, reaching out to jab a finger into his hip and causing him to let out a short scream before slapping a shaking hand over his mouth. Alvida smirked widely. _

"_It still hurts then? Good… Wouldn't want it to heel too quickly now, would we?" and with that, she got to her feet and went to sort out a girl who was laughing softly at the back of the class. Zoro grit his teeth even harder if that was possible, and clenched his hands so tightly (as tightly as he could, weak as he was) in his shirt as colours began to dance in front of his eyes. He was clenching them so harshly, they were protesting violently now, but he couldn't help it. That… that one last scream… still continued to echo in his head. Mingling with his own as pain riddled his entire body… _

"…_S-s-sor-ry…" he whispered, before everything blanked and he fell forward onto his desk. He would be beaten for this later, he knew it but… if only to escape the torment of his own mind… it was worth it right now. It was SO worth it…_

---

_"I promise I'll come back for you…"_

_"No… wanna go now…" Luffy whined raising his hands as if to be picked up by the tall man in front of him. He wanted to go too! He wanted to go with them! Why were they leaving him behind?_

_"I'm sorry Luffy, but the important people I told you about before said no."_

_Luffy resisted the urge to cry as he so desperately wanted. Why did the important people say no?_

_"I'm gonna try again kiddo… don't you worry… but until then, take this…" and the big man pulled the hat from his head, pressing it down onto Luffy's. The little boy squeaked at its sudden presence and raised his tiny and chubby hands to run his fingers along the rim of the hat._

_"…hat?"_

_"Yeah, hat." the man smiled, reaching down to run the pad of his thumb against the small boy's chubby cheek, "I'll be back, it's a promise."_

Luffy opened his eyes and blinked sleepily as he stared at the ceiling. He could feel the throbbing of his body, but easily ignored it, raising a hand and sighing as he felt the familiar worn straw strands under his fingers. Sitting up, he realised he was on the dusty floor of one of the orphanage rooms and it was pretty late. Yawning and wincing at the pain in his jaw, he eased himself back down to sleep through the night. As his eyes slipped closed, Zoro snuck into his thoughts and a small smile lit up his face as he drifted off. Zoro would come and save him… just like he saved him from Gramps. All he had to do, was be a good boy and do as he was told. Maybe if he was really good tomorrow... Zoro would come back sooner? That was it then... He would have to work extra hard, and be extra good tomorrow! Nami and Sanji said not to listen to Gramps... And even though these people _weren't _Gramps, they kinda sounded like him. So, if he could listen to them, and do what they said, then he would be good.

...Right?

Not knowing his own twisted way of thinking, Luffy's smile grew a little wider as he remembered the day he'd first met Zoro. He'd been so nice. The first nice person to ever come into his life, and then he had introduced him to Nami and Sanji, MORE nice people. So that made Zoro even nicer, because now he had THREE people who liked him... These thoughts continued to whirl around in his head, but instead of disrupting his sleep... they only increased it. Letting him slip off and dream of his friends.

---

Zoro woke with a start as the door to his room opened. He eyed the shadow that shifted in the doorway before a light flicked on and caused him to raise a hand to shield his eyes from the harsh light. Quickly, he forced on a shaky smile that ended up looking like more of a grimace in an attempt to hide the panic he felt. The nurse that entered surveyed him carefully for a few seconds before moving closer. Zoro could tell she was scared... Very scared, in fact. But, though something told him to take advantage of that and run for it... what would be the point? He would only be caught, and then probably tied down. He shuddered a little as that thought occurred to him. Raising his eyes to her, the nurse almost sighed at the sad look in them.

"Roronoa-san, Dr Leith has reported that your sleep seemed restless and that you were to be sedated to carry out some necessary tests." She muttered, "Please don't make this difficult or I will have to call more staff to restrain you." He could tell she didn't like doing this, as much as _he _didn't like it happening. The other nurses were cold... So cold. Almost like _her_. But not dangerous, and sadistic and... violent, enough. _Those _nurses were just doing their job, the things they were told to do. They'd been trained not to get too close to their patients and not to get attached.

Zoro sighed heavily, and nodded slowly. He would cut her a break, even though they wouldn't do so with him. This girl was the youngest of the nurses and by far the calmest. She certainly didn't try and jump out of the way when he shifted, and didn't glare at him when he looked at her. He felt a slight bit calmer around her, being as she was 16 and looked pretty weak, but also for the fact that she had kind eyes, just like Nami and Sanji.

But... the fact remained that she was _still _going to sedate him. Was still going to _touch _him. Obediently, he moved closer, flinching and tensing as she took a hold of his arm to inject the sedative into his bloodstream. Her eyes darted to his face, and Zoro looked back at her quietly. He could see what was in her eyes, like he could see what was in everyone else's. She... pitied him. Sympathised with him for this. She was so young... And must have been a trainee of sorts, or something. Her eyes turned back to his arm as she took the needle away, and Zoro just lay still. He knew better than to resist... They would just _keep_ him sedated then. Maybe if he behaved, just maybe, they might give him a break.

He doubted it. But it was worth a shot. After replacing everything on her tray, the nurse looked back at Zoro again and sighed very gently.

"It's quiet in here, isn't it?" She asked quietly and Zoro watched her before nodding slowly. He could feel the effects of the sedative working already. It was a horribly feeling to have your own body shut down on you like that...

"I bet you miss your family, huh?" she asked and Zoro's eyes narrowed slightly as he shifted to watch her better. She smiled softly, "You don't talk... That's alright. I can hardly blame you... I don't understand why they're being so horrible to you though... They have no cause to sedate you like they do. I mean, it seems to be just an over-precautionary measure. You don't have to worry about me though. I won't hurt you, I promise... I'm not scared of you, just because you get a little frightened. You know... my best friend was in one of these wards once." Zoro blinked at her, a small spark of interest kindling in his eyes. The nurse seemed to notice and she nodded.

"Mhm... He was in an accident, and it gave him brain damage." she explained. Zoro's eyes furrowed in confusion and the nurse laughed softly, "Umm... it affected his brain. Made it hard for him to think straight, to perform functions on his own, to... live normally, really. I wanted to help him so badly, and it's what made me become a nurse." Zoro sighed a little, hardly able to keep his eyes open. The nurse almost reached out to touch him, but Zoro flinched before she got there, sleepy eyes widening a little until she took the hand away again quickly.

"You've been hurt pretty bad, huh... In the past. I'm sorry... And you seem like such a nice person." Zoro's eyes drooped as he blinked slowly at her, before the compliment registered and he inclined his head as best he could.

"...Thank you..." he mumbled before his eyes closed completely. The nurse blinked for a second before sighing and smiling softly. If she had the chance, she would stay and talk to this boy for a while... but, she was going back to nursing school tomorrow for more training. She hoped they didn't treat him too roughly.

As his world faded around him, Zoro idly wished he had Luffy here with him, giving him one of those 'special' hugs made especially for him. He was pretty sure he could stay calm if Luffy was in here with him… but that was just wishful thinking. Luffy was in _that_ place with _her_. Sighing miserably, Zoro let himself fade away, the last image to pass through his mind being that of a dark haired teen he knew very well, smiling widely at him. He hoped to god Luffy didn't lose his smile like he had… Because that was what he clung to now. Luffy's smile... He would have to remember to tell Nami to get Luffy out of the orphanage the next time she came to visit. He HAD to remember to tell her that... no matter what...

No. Matter. What.

------

**Clarobell: So, we get a little more insight into our two favourite boy's pasts eh? What do you think. The ideas thing is still open, so if you want to see something happen in this fic, then feel free to PM either myself or Plushie. I'm online every day and Plushie a few times a week, so come on! Send us some ideas to get those creative juices flowing!...wait….eww….anyway, thanks to all who reviewed last chapter!**

**Plushie: OO I like juice. D ... -blinks at the silence and the random -cough- in the background- What? Reviews, please. If you hate it, and decide to tell us so... feel free to get ready for a chewing out from myself, because I am not a calm kitty lately. But, feel free to flame all you like, it gives me something to steam about. -adopts cute smile- Thanks for reading. **


	24. Rock Bottom

**Clarobell: I finally have overcome chapter 27!! I'm so happy! –cries– Here's the new chapter – angst ahoy! You have been warned.**

**Plushie: Hope you enjoy. Don't flail too hard about it, you'll knock yourself out and miss the next chapter. Enjoy **

**Clarobell: -flail-**

**Plushie: -gives Valium- **

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 24: Rock Bottom**_

Eight days and counting after Luffy left for the orphanage, Nami came back for a visit with Zoro again. This time, she'd dragged Sanji with her. The chef looked a mess, with his greasy hair and uncurled eyebrow. His eyes were tired, sad and dull. He never looked at Nami in the eye, didn't speak and had lost so much weight that his suit (which could have possibly fit a broomstick to begin with) was hanging off of him in baggy folds. His feet shuffled, the effort of lifting them too much for him to even bother trying to do, and every now and again, Nami would have to catch him as he stumbled and right him again. Getting him up the stairs of the hospital had been an exercise and a half, that was for sure.

Large purple bags were under the cook's eyes and his shoulders almost seemed permanently hunched. In a word, pitiful. He was following Nami as she led him down the corridor towards the door that she knew was Zoro's, remembering from last time exactly where it was. Every now and then he would stop and seem to drift away for a few seconds until a soft tug on his hand, held loosely by Nami's, would bring him back and he would follow obediently once more.

Stopping outside Zoro's room, Nami took a moment to compose herself and quickly turned to Sanji, smoothing down his hair and straightening his suit. She'd tried to comb the golden strands, but it seemed Sanji's hair was harder to tame than it looked, and stray strands were sticking out at odd angles from his restless tossing and turning the night before. Sighing, the red head took a deep breath and reached for the door handle. She winced as it creaked loudly in the all too silent hallway and carefully opening the door, peeked in.

A frown wound its way onto her pursed lips as loud and tuneless humming sounded from inside the room. It could only have been coming from Zoro, as the nurse she'd spoken to had told her that nobody was currently in with the green haired teen. Moving further into the room, her brow knitted as she saw the humming was indeed coming from Zoro… but it was so… out of character! He was sitting on his bed, knees against his chest, almost like she'd never left, and he was staring at the ceiling, a wide smile on his face and humming as loudly as he could. Biting her lip, the red head put on her own smile.

"Hey Zoro!" she announced and the teen started and looked down and across, blinking at her for a minute before the smile returned again. She suppressed a shudder, rather disturbed by how creepy Zoro looked like that. And what had been with the humming? Was it another escape route? What had they done to the poor bastard now? She could only imagine...

"Nami!" he greeted enthusiastically, getting up off of his bed and moving over to her. That was when Nami tugged Sanji in so that the blonde was stood beside her. With a gentle nudge, she moved Sanji into the middle of the room so that she could close the door with a quiet click. Zoro stood rooted to the spot, his eyes wide as they focused on Sanji. That... wasn't Sanji. It COULDN'T be! He was... But his hair...! And... No, this wasn't Sanji at all! How could it be? Turning his wide eyes on Nami, the red head nodded solemnly and slowly, very slowly, he turned his eyes back to Sanji again. How could this have happened...?

"Sanji-san…" he said softly, the smile long gone from his face. His eyes took in everything before him. Right down to the un-shined shoes, and he couldn't help but automatically think that this wasn't Sanji. It couldn't be! Sanji… Sanji wouldn't let himself go like this… But he had, and now Zoro felt the guilt he'd been hiding under that big fake smile creeping up, overflowing his senses to the point where it couldn't be contained any longer. Shaking slightly, he tried to form words, a question, _anything_! But his mouth wouldn't seem to cooperate. His tongue seemed caught in his throat, and his throat was constricting harder than any of Alvida's crushing holds on him...

Nami held Sanji's hand tightly, but the chef made no move to clench it back. His head was bowed, and his arms hung limply at his sides, and he didn't respond to Zoro at all. Didn't seem to even know where he was, and obviously didn't care either. Nami smiled sadly at Zoro, her eyes stinging with tears again.

"He doesn't look so good, does he?" she asked, already knowing the reply to that.

Zoro narrowed his eyes a little and took another hesitant step forward. He didn't even hear Nami as he tried to make sense of this. Wouldn't Sanji be happy without him and Luffy around to stress him out? And he could be alone with Nami. Wasn't that what Sanji had always wanted? Zoro wasn't so sure anymore. He didn't know what to make of the situation. He was confused now.

"Sanji…?" he asked again before running the last few steps and grabbing Sanji's shoulders. The chef didn't move at all, didn't even look up or make a sound. Shaking him, Zoro tried to see something that resembled life in the blonde's dull eyes.

"Sanji? Sanji! What's wrong with you cheese head!?" and he clenched his hands to find… there was basically nothing to clench them on. He could feel the bones of Sanji's shoulders through the fabric to his hands. He pulled one hand away and looked at it for a moment before grabbing onto the front of Sanji's jacket and ripping at the buttons, trying to get it to come loose. He had to see… had to make sure. Sanji couldn't be like this! Not Sanji! How could this have happened in just over two weeks?? He knew how long it had been, since he asked the nurses every day. What had Sanji done to himself? Had he eaten at _all_ since Zoro's last seen him? It didn't look like it…

Mere seconds passed, before the door to the room burst open and a swarm of nurses barrelled in, several of them with needles ready. They'd obviously been called after Zoro had started shaking Sanji, but Nami wasn't about to let them get to the green haired teen. No way! Frowning, she turned to face them and heard the rustle of material as Zoro finally managed to free the jacket and threw it to the floor, starting on the shirt then. 

"Don't… touch him." The red head growled, putting her arms out on either side so the nurses couldn't get past. A sneaky one tried to go around the side, but Nami hissed at her so viciously, that she ran back and hid behind the others. One nurse was brave enough to speak up, and Nami had to give her credit, she didn't look worried at all. She should have been. Though girly, and usually gentle, Nami could be bloody dangerous when she wanted to be. That's what kept Sanji, and Zoro (when he needed it, but that wasn't often), in line at home.

"He'll hurt himself, your boyfriend or you! He has to be calmed down!" the nurse warned, and Nami frowned angrily, her eyes dark. That bitch nurse was speaking as if she _knew _Zoro! Ha! All Zoro was to her was another paitient, another statistic, just a job! Like hell would Nami listen to _her_!

Sanji grunted slightly as Zoro pulled ferociously at his clothes, almost scratching him in his haste. Blinking slowly, the blonde made no move to stop him. Eyes glazed and seemingly lost in his own mind. This only caused to make Zoro even more frantic in his attempts.

Nami was pissed now. Suddenly she understood why Zoro had been acting the way he had for the past three weeks. If whenever he put a foot wrong, they sedated him, then she was surprised the teen hadn't already lost his mind. She knew he was stronger than he showed, but they had trouble trying to pull the strong Zoro out of the frightened one. She knew it was there though, and all these nurses and doctors were accomplishing, was to bury that strong Zoro even deeper. _That_, was what pissed her off. Growling slightly, she took a step towards them.

"Ma'am? Please! Look at what he's attempting to do to your boyfriend! He's violent! He'll kill Mr Nor-" another nurse started, but Nami's eyes went deadly cold.

"Don't you DARE, accuse Zoro of killing ANYONE! He's NOT violent; he's NOT attempting to do anything other than try to understand what's happened to someone he cares about!" Nami hissed, her eyes flashing so dangerously that a few of the nurses trembled. Ice was in her voice like never before, and her hands which had clenched into fists, were shaking.

"Madam..." the nurse attempted after taking a deep breath to try and calm her own trembling, "We're doing our job. He doesn't wish to do anything other than hurt Mr Nor-" She was cut off again as Nami growled loudly in her throat.

"They both need to see each other damn it! This is NONE of your damn BUSINESS! Zoro doesn't need to be sedated every five damn seconds! He's much better off without drugs! Now, leave!" Nami ordered. The nurse that had spoken up before, opened her mouth to respond, but was quickly cut off as this time Nami growled so angrily, that the nurses practically fell over each other to get out again, scurrying away like a group of spiders. She didn't give a damn about what they thought of her. She'd show them soon enough when she took that course Leith had recommended and gained custody back of Zoro.

Letting out a loud breath through her nose, she turned back again to see him staring at Sanji's upper torso in shock. The ribs were showing, and the skin was pale, dry, and unhealthy. Almost paper like. It was frightening to Nami, and shocking to Zoro. The only person he had ever seen look this thin... was himself. How could this have happened to the man who had become his mentor? His friend...

"S-Sanji…" Zoro whispered, before shaking his head in disbelief. This wasn't happening... no, it couldn't be. It was... it was another of those nightmares! He was missing Nami and Sanji so much, they'd come to visit him, and this was what the nightmare was making him see! Punishing him for dreaming about them... He couldn't stop his hands from shaking, and he couldn't stop his eyes from watering. This wasn't REAL!

"It's..." he began but gulped, and Nami watched him silently, "It's... not real... It can't be. It just, can't!" But even as he said it, he knew he was lying to himself. He knew nightmares, and if this was one... it would be changing and shifting. And Nami wouldn't be watching him with genuine concern. She'd be glaring at him.

"It's real, Zoro... This is what happened... You say you need us, Luffy included. But Zoro, the truth is, we need you and Luffy twice as much. You're all we have now. Our lives are void without you..." She said quietly, and Zoro shook his head, unable to process such... emotional knowledge.

"Why...?" he asked softly, his voice shaking. Nami shrugged softly, not moving from her spot as Sanji's head flopped backwards and then jerked up again, eyes dull and glazed like he was staring at something that couldn't possibly be there. That they couldn't see... She wouldn't doubt it.

Nami sighed sadly.

"Because we do, Zoro... We've been through a lot together, ne?" she answered in a quiet voice. Zoro watched her for a second, and she could almost see his bottom lip trembling, but he heaved a deep sigh and nodded. He wasn't going to cry. Nope. Not now... Not with Sanji looking like this.

"Why... why is he all weird, like that?" Zoro asked, watching Sanji silently. Once again, a sad sigh made its way from Nami's lips.

"The pills he takes… they kind of make him out of it…" she said softly. Zoro jerked and looked around at her. Why did he need those?

"Pills? Why is he taking pills?" he asked, genuinely confused. Nami groaned slightly at Zoro's confusion. It was slightly annoying when he got like this.

"Zoro, he's been severely depressed since Luffy was hospitalised with pneumonia. He had mild depression months before that, but, if he doesn't take the pills, he may start considering," and she paused to swallow, "something stupid." Nami couldn't bear it anymore, and she turned away, putting a hand over her mouth. Zoro blinked at her for a moment. Something stupid? Wasn't that what Sanji had said to him? When Sanji had thought that Zoro had gone out and committed suicide? That was when it clicked. The teen grabbed Sanji's thin shoulders again.

"You can't kill yourself Sanji!" he cried, shaking the man a little, "I'm sorry I said what I said, and I'm sorry I did what I did! I didn't know it would affect you so badly! You're so strong!" Zoro gasped, holding back tears as his light shakes turned rough and he was fairly picking Sanji up off the ground and throwing him around before he clasped him to his chest tightly. Fear didn't matter now. Though he was often at loggerheads with Sanji, (most of the time over nothing at all) he could not deny that he was in slight awe of the blonde. He was strong, tough, and never let anyone push him around… except for Nami of course, but that was different! But... for him to become like this...

The chef's head drooped to rest on Zoro's shoulder, his breathing a little laboured as his eyes slipped closed. His knees buckled and he would have dropped to the floor had Zoro not been holding him. Deep breaths indicated that Sanji had fallen asleep, exhausted from both lack of sleep and nutrition. Zoro didn't let go though. Nami couldn't take it anymore, and Zoro's yelling had made it worse. She was taking shuddering breaths as tears began to leak from her eyes.

"He won't sleep, he won't eat, he won't speak and he doesn't listen! I've told him you're sorry! I tried! He won't listen, Zoro!" and she sobbed harshly, her voice and heart breaking. She'd had no one to tell this to! Had no one to try and help her! She was alone with this burden, alone with Sanji who was too damn FUCKED to help her now! She felt so cold... so alone, so frightened. She'd tried to be strong, tried to be happy and brave and pretend it was all one big game that Sanji was playing. But no... It was too much... It was just too. Fucking. MUCH!

Zoro looked between them, at a total loss for what to do. He'd never dealt with this before… and Nami and Sanji were the two strongest people in his little bubble that had been burst when he'd been taken away. Never, ever, had he seen Sanji act like this, _re_act like this. To Luffy, and himself.

It unnerved him badly, made him want to shove Sanji away at the same time as he wanted to shake him so damn hard that the blonde would see sense and finally wake up to the world around him. And now Nami was crying too! He hated it when people cried, because it made _him _want to cry too. So, he held Sanji with one hand while reaching the other out to Nami. She took hold of it, squeezing it lightly and calming herself down with deep breaths. Zoro felt it was a very small gesture, but he couldn't think of anything more to do.

"I'm just, so worried about him." she said, tears still running down her cheeks. Sanji jerked awake in Zoro's arms, causing the green haired teen to jump in fright, before he calmed. The blonde blinked slowly, having been awoken from a small nightmare… but he was still in one big one. He was still in this place. Why was he still here? Why? Slowly the blonde's head lowered back down again and in no time he'd drifted back to sleep.

"What can… you do to help?" Zoro asked, looking over at Nami and realizing what she'd done. She hadn't let anyone touch him… not one of those nurses had laid a finger on him… she's _protected _him, just like always. She hadn't done anything against him at all, and he'd tried to hide from her. God, he could be so STUPID sometimes. It was ridiculous thinking that Nami would do anything against him. Nami nodded at him.

"I've got my best lawyer working out an agreement. She says if everything goes well, both myself and Sanji will have to carry out a series of tests with you to prove we're able to handle supporting you, but with Sanji like this…" she trailed off. Zoro looked down at him and then back to Nami, his eyes sad.

"I wish I could help…" he mumbled, feeling guilty for getting himself into this situation. Because that's what had happened. If he hadn't have panicked in the hospital, then they would never have been in this mess, and he'd probably been home right now, attempting to read a book or maybe even watching cartoons. But he'd gone and blamed Sanji. He'd felt so angry at the time. He just wished he could have taken it back. He'd do _anything _to be able to take it back, but it was too late for that. He had to think of the future. Sanji needed _his_ help now, and he was going to do whatever he could.

Nami frowned in determination and took a quick step forward. She'd been hoping for an opportunity like this.

"Zoro, look at Sanji, really look at him, and tell me, what do you see?" she asked in a firm, strong voice. If she couldn't fix Sanji right now, then she was going to fix Zoro instead. She could tell the teen's mind was in a whirlwind. He was confused and unsure and sad. She needed to take the opportunity to get him to see sense, and that opportunity was now. Zoro turned slowly to look down at the top of the back of Sanji's head, blinking slowly as he just stood there and stared for at least a minute. Finally, he shook his head sadly.

"I… don't know." he replied softly. "…hair?"

He didn't know what he was supposed to see. He was so confused. The image of Sanji grinning at him like he used to, kept disrupting his thoughts and he couldn't believe how far this man had fallen...

"No…" Nami smiled softly before her features hardened along with her tone and she spat out her next words "I see a weak, pathetic excuse of a man."

Zoro flinched slightly and continued to stare at Sanji's head. "Do you?" he asked. Nami nodded.

"He reminds me of you when you first came to us… just think Zoro, if a man as strong as Sanji can become as weak as that, then a man as weak as that, can become as _strong _as Sanji." she replied, her voice strong and holding no proof that a minute ago she had been breaking down. Narrowing his eyes, Zoro watched her carefully. He was thinking...

"But-" he began. Was she saying that he could become stronger? Or was she talking about just anyone? No... she was talking about him.

"But what?" Nami asked, turning her ear slightly towards him and a determined look on her face. 

"Nothing…" Zoro smiled, sighing. Nami didn't think Zoro believed her yet. She needed him to see that if he continued the way he was, then he would get there. If he continued to allow Nami, Sanji and Luffy to help him, then he would be able to consider himself normal... and not an alien; like he did now. It was strange... He had never felt so accepted before.

"Zoro, look how far you've come. Just a few weeks ago, would you have held Sanji like that? Look how close he is!" Nami said, putting so much force into her words, that Zoro began to actually think about the last few weeks. About Luffy. About everything that had happened.

"_Can I hug you Zoro?" _Zoro heard Luffy's voice in his head.

"No… no, I wouldn't have…" the green haired teen mumbled, as he realized what she was doing. She didn't want him to forget what he'd learned, didn't want him to lose himself in self pity or depression, much like the man in his arms had done.

Nami smiled in relief and walked over to him, circling her arm around his neck in a hug. Zoro blinked for a minute, fully aware of the fact that he was being crowded, touched, and… _hugged _by two people at the same time, and he wasn't feeling a trace of the tenseness that he used to have. Smiling gently, he let Nami hug him, feeling better than he had in… well… a long time. Apart from the fact that Sanji looked like death, but, when he got out of here, he would fix that. He would make sure of it.

"We'll stay a bit longer today. He could use the sleep." Nami mumbled as she pulled away again and Zoro felt a twinge of regret at the loss of contact. So that's why Luffy craved affection so much.

"'Kay…" Zoro replied, still feeling very happy about his accomplishment. Actually, he felt a lot calmer too.

"Lie him down on the bed, and we'll talk. I doubt you get any decent conversation here." She said, rolling her eyes slightly as Zoro moved Sanji carefully over and laid him down, pulling the shirt back together and then hurrying back and getting the jacket, laying it over his friend. Upon making sure that Sanji was comfortable, Zoro settled himself on the floor beside the bed, watching as Nami moved the chair over to sit beside Sanji, and in front of Zoro. Shuffling back a bit to give Nami leg room, Zoro brought his knees up to his chest, but didn't hug them, relaxing more than he had in a long time and smiling for real. Nami smiled back at him and winked.

"That's better…" she said, "So, what do you want to know?" But Nami had a feeling she already knew the question. Never the less, Zoro thought, and she waited.

"Is Luffy gone yet?" he asked finally, and Nami nodded. She knew it.

"He's been there eight days now…" she replied and Zoro shook his head a little sadly.

"He needs to be out of there Nami… she'll get to him if he's there too long…" he said, looking up at her with narrowed eyes before turning back to the floor again. He could only hope that she wasn't interested in anything more than bossing Luffy around.

"I know, Zoro," and she took a deep breath, "It's why… it's why we're trying to get him out first, instead of you…" and she waited for the hurt to flash in the teen's eyes… but it didn't. Zoro nodded with genuine understanding and Nami let out the breath she'd taken. She'd been relying on Zoro's concern for Luffy to overcome his suspicion of them, and apparently it had. But Zoro wasn't suspicious of her at all. He knew she was telling the truth, and he knew she was going to get him out of this... place. Nodding again, Zoro smiled genuinely.

"Good." he replied as he turned to her with sharp, and determined eyes. It was weird, because she'd never seen anything like that happen to Zoro before. His eyes were always sad, timid, or frightened… very rarely determined.

"I can handle being here… I sleep most of the time." and he shrugged before continuing, "Luffy won't." No... Luffy would get worked and worked and then be punished if he slept, or even attempted to sleep. Zoro fiddled with his fingers and then tapped them against the floor before holding them still again. Noise wasn't allowed here either.

"I know…" Nami replied softly, watching Zoro carefully. The green haired teen heaved a sigh and scratched his face before focusing on the floor, as though something had just dawned on him.

"I… I really care about him, ya know?" he asked, almost as though he were asking himself. Nami smiled softly. She knew that too.

"I know, the little guy, he… he's like family." she replied and bit her bottom lip as she thought about the boy, and how at this very moment he may be asking someone for a hug… and being rejected totally. Zoro smirked at her remark.

"Or the family cat…" he commented sarcastically, snorting and chuckling a little. Nami laughed as well, the sound genuine. She hadn't laughed for real for the last two or three weeks.

"Zoro!" she chided playfully before laughing at the comment and then sighing as she reached out a hand, running it through his hair, and then running the other through Sanji's, "We'll get back together…"

Zoro nodded. "I know…" and then he looked up at the clock that was high, _high _ up on the wall so he couldn't reach it and he shuddered a little, "Time's up." and he smiled at Nami, genuinely, "Just focus on Luffy for now, and then you can get me out, okay? I don't want Luffy to end up like me."

That's when the door opened and a group of Nurses (who were eyeing Nami apprehensively) walked in, and Zoro's fake grin was back.

"Bye Nami!" he fairly laughed as he stood up. Sighing heavily at the loss of Zoro again, she nudged Sanji awake and quickly helped him put his shirt back on, grabbing up his discarded jacket before leading him out of the room, leaving Zoro to whatever tests they were planning on putting him through next. She hated to think.

---

It wasn't until the next day that Nami finally find out an interesting bit of news that she knew would bring Sanji out of his stupor. If this didn't… then, she may as well have passed the blonde off as a vegetable, for all he was worth. Not that she ever would… but the idea (at times) was tempting. The chef himself was lying on the bed, his eyes glazed and half lidded as he stared at the ceiling. The medication made him drowsy, and SOMETIMES gave him fantasies… but otherwise, his state was down to him and his constant depressive thoughts. That was how Nami found him, as she walked into the room casually and sat down on the other side of the bed, letting one leg hang off the edge of it while folding the other underneath her and gripping it with one hand. Her goal was to share her news, and hope that it would be enough to take his mind off of the past and start thinking about the future.

"Hey Sanji. Ya wanna get up?" she asked. The blonde blinked slowly and tiredly, ignoring the question. Nami sighed.

"You know, you're going to have to pull yourself together, otherwise you won't be ready." she said. Sanji just let out a soft sigh, continuing to stare at the ceiling. He hadn't taken his pills yet today, so he was still fully coherent.

"Don't you even care what I want you to be ready for?" Nami asked, sighing in exasperation. Once again, she was ignored.

"Oh for pity's sake…" Nami muttered to herself, shaking her head, "Is it going to take you nine months to come back to life, or what?" And there was a reaction. Sanji's eyebrows knitted together ever so slightly and Nami had to hide her gigantic grin. She felt like the Cheshire cat from Alice in wonderland. Still, she wanted Sanji to figure this out for himself.

"I might get bigger in the future too." She said, idly scratching her chin, "And I'll need more food. We may have to convert Luffy's room and get him and Zoro to share in a year or two…"

Sanji's eyes widened and they trailed over to look at Nami. It was the first time he'd looked straight at her in weeks. Nami had to stop herself from grabbing him and yelling it at him, and instead just smiled, and tilted her head as her eyes closed in delight.

"What colour do you think? Blue is a boy, and pink is a girl. Maybe half and half?" she asked, watching as Sanji's eyes widened further and he raised his head off the mattress to look at her properly, blinking a little faster. He was coming awake! That was great! Now, she just had to get him to realize. Oh stuff it. Nami laughed and cuffed him gently around the head.

"Come on, you're not that dumb." she commented, still chuckling.

"N-Nami-san…?" Sanji asked, his voice croaky and hoarse from lack of use. Nami smiled.

"You ready to be a real Dad?" and she grinned cheekily before pouting, "But you'll have to tell me I don't look fat… or you'll be out on your ass." and she winked. Sanji sat bolt upright and in a flash of movement, had Nami in his arms and was swinging her around.

"Nami-SWAAAAAAAAAAN!" he cried happily before setting her down carefully and kissing her soundly. Nami laughed the whole time, overjoyed that Sanji had come back to her. It was like a dream come true! She'd expected him to maybe smile, or hug her, at best to kiss her, but this? Sanji always was full of surprises though…

"Steady there, you'll break your fragile little limbs." She whispered into his ear, squeezing one of his bony arms teasingly. Sanji's lips quirked up before his grip loosened, lowering Nami back to the floor before swaying dangerously and then stumbling back and landing on the bed with a groan. Nami sighed and shook her head.

"Told you so. Now, are you going to pull yourself together? Or do I have to find someone else?" she asked, but she kept her tone light so Sanji would know she was joking. Shaking his head, Sanji smiled more happily than Nami had seen him smile since the beginning of the year.

"I can… I can do it." he replied, and then sighed. Nami smiled. 

"Good. Cos I don't want anyone else. Now, let's get you cleaned up so you can eat, ne?"

The cook grimaced at the thought of food, swallowing in dread. He didn't want to eat…he _really _didn't, but with Nami pregnant again, he _had _to! No way was he leaving her to fend for herself! He would do this. Zoro… he needed to get him back needed to fix things. Everything was fucked up and it made him feel miserable, but for his baby, his second chance, he would fix things, and this time, he'd do it right.

Nami reached over and grabbed a brush from the bedside drawers, moving back to the bed and slowly running it through her boyfriend's fluffy hair. She'd washed it two days ago, making it more manageable, and Sanji closed his eyes, letting her do as she pleased. He felt the familiar tug in his chest, letting him know it was his fault, and he shouldn't be enjoying this, that he didn't deserve Nami or his baby, but he pushed it aside. Whether he deserved them or not, he had them and that meant he had to take care of them. Nami smiled brightly as she saw the determination shining in Sanji's eyes again as he opened them, thanking whatever God there was for letting this happen to them. It was exactly what they had needed.

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**Clarobell: Review, or die. Your choices are simple. Lets see which one you pick cocks gun Oh, and I wanted to ask, who here wants me (not Plushie) to open a forum specifically for DD? Because the review replies are getting really hard to do -.-**

**Plushie: Blah, that's all I have to say. I'm a scrooge and that's that. Thanks in advance for reviewers for this chapter. **

**Clarobell: -flail- should you happen to review without commenting and just saying that you would like the forum, I'm afraid you still have to die **

**Plushie: Yay! Death is always fun. Should have called this Deathly Dramatic Differences. ... that doesn't sound half bad. .. **


	25. Forgive, Forget, Recover and Move On

**Clarobell: EDIT! Okay, reposted this to let you guys know, the forum is now up and running. You can find the link in MY profile. Thats MY PRIFILE. NOT PLUSHIE'S!!! Phew, okay. PM me to let me know if you want me to post a specific topic. That's ME not Plushie. You can find a link to my profile through Plushie's.**

**Plushie: Thanks everyone. I have no rant, because my brain hurts. :) **

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 25: Forgive, Forget, Recover and Move on... **_

After the announcement that Nami was pregnant again, Sanji had been slowly improving. Though his weight had steadily picked up over the past four days, he was still pretty weak and tired, and tended to drop off to sleep without warning much like Zoro did. He was definitely more positive than before though, most of the time at least. He still wasn't strong enough to cook, and he didn't tend to feel like it yet either, so Nami had continued cooking for both herself and Sanji. It had been rather strange at first, having to cook meals for Sanji, and not the other way around, and over the past few months, Nami had found herself regretting how much she'd taken the man for granted, but now, it was a pleasure simply to have him responding and listening to her again. She was currently in the kitchen, preparing a small meal for the both of them and Sanji was sitting at the dinner table, watching as Nami cooked some simple rice and vegetables for their dinner.

"Keep an eye on the rice…" he provided and Nami had to bite back the urge to snap at him that she _was _keeping an eye on the rice. The room was silent for a few moments more before Sanji sat up slightly and leaned a bit to the side to try and get a better view of the wok with the vegetables on the stove.

"Keep stirring them, Nami-san…" he instructed and once again, Nami's shoulders rose and fell as she heaved a deep breath to calm herself down and took to stirring the vegetables. Sanji was only doing what was natural to him. Cooking was like a second nature to him and he was simply instructing her to cook the way he normally did. The only problem with that was, that Nami was Nami, not Sanji. She had her own habits and methods in the kitchen. They may not have been as effiecent and perfect as her boyfriend chef's, but they were her ways. She knew Sanji was only trying to help and trying to save her the embarrassment of a burnt meal… but damn it all, she wished he would just let her cook! It would be done _so_ much quicker! But still… she was relieved that he was acting normal again.

"Nami-san, the rice." Sanji whined slightly. With a small eye roll, Nami moved over and gave it a quick stir, adding some water to it to keep it from going dry and burning. After checking it, she switched the stove off and then moved over to where the pre made sauce was sitting on the bench in a small bowl with cling wrap over the top of it. Piling the rice on top of it and then creating a well in the middle, she tossed the vegetables into it.

"Careful Nami-san, it's hot." Sanji warned, trying to lean around and see what she was doing. Nami sighed heavily and forced herself to stay quiet.

"I know, Sanji-kun." She replied, stressing the 'kun' in a slightly warning tone.

Sanji blinked before sighing a little and settling himself back down in the chair again. He was annoying her… _He _was annoying _her_. That sentence just sounded so… horrible. So depressing. He kind of wanted to get up and take over, tell his precious Nami-san to sit down and rest, let him make something nutricious and delicious for both her and their unborn baby, but his limbs felt like lead and his mind was so fuzzy. He doubted he'd be able to muster up even a basic recipe at the moment. Lowering his head with a soft and disappointed sigh, his frown deepened. He was disappointed in himself for falling so far and sinking so low. How had it happened? He could hardly remember…

After mixing the sauce, rice and vegetables together, Nami turned and paused when she saw Sanji watching the table in front of him, his hair hanging forward, and with a small sigh, she grabbed the plates in her other hand and moved over.

"I'm not annoyed at you. I'm happy you're being that way, really." she said quietly as she served the food out and then sat beside him and waited for him to pick up the fork, but when he just stared at it miserably, she sighed again.

"Not eating is not going to make me happy. Surely you know that." Nami commented, a small frown tugging at her lips. The blonde just hefted a soft sigh and picked up his fork, but made no move to put it anywhere near the food.

"Do I have to feed you?" she inquired, a smirk working its way onto her face. She had a plan now. She would do this every time Sanji slipped back into his little depressive state. It worked pretty much every time, and for that she was grateful. Especially seeing as anything else she said seemed to go straight in one of the blonde's ears, and then fluidly and easily out the other. Like a blank tunnel. Idiot…

"Fine." And she picked up the fork and scooped up some of the food, "I guess I should get in some practice before the baby comes eh?" She smirked as Sanji's eyes flickered back from that dull state and then glanced downwards at her stomach. Yep, here he went. A soft smile tugged at his lips and slowly, he took the fork from her and lifted it to his lips.

"Nami-san is so beautiful when she's being sneaky." he muttered before taking a bite and Nami's face lit up.

"Better believe it." she responded easily as she waited for the verdict on her food.

"It's…" Sanji began, but paused when he saw Nami's expression and gulped the food down, "Wonderful, Nami-san." and Nami smirked so widely it was a wonder her face didn't split in two.

"Nope!" she replied, sounding very much like Luffy as she bit into her own forkful, "Gimme a better appraisal than that." And she chuckled softly as she chewed and swallowed. Sanji sniggered.

"Fantastic, wonderful, amazing." he continued and Nami nodded.

"Keep going…"

"The best food I've ever tasted!" Sanji finished off, and Nami turned a wry smile at him.

"Good. _You_ made it." and she grinned. Sanji blinked.

"…eh?"

"Mhm. In case you hadn't noticed, the rice was something that you cooked a while ago and froze. The sauce you cooked a while ago… and froze. And the vegetables you bought, cut up and… froze. You froze a lot of things before you went all 'depression' on me." and she finished off the small portion of food on her plate, stood and took it to the sink.

"I… did?" Sanji asked, raising a swirly eyebrow and blinking in a mild shock. He… didn't remember freezing anything. Nami paused for a second.

"You don't remember? Wow… weird." and she began packing the food away and placing the used cooking gear in the sink to be washed later. Sanji blinked a little.

"So… I cooked it?" he asked.

"Yes, you cooked it. What are you, a parrot now?" and she turned to him with a smirk as she leaned a hand on the bench and put the other on her hip.

"No… I just, I don't remember…" Sanji shook his head and then shrugged.

He didn't remember a lot of things during his depression, mainly because he didn't feel they had been _worth _remembering. For example, Zoro being in the mental hospital. Luffy being in the orphanage. Nami looking at him with that… horribly pitying gaze that he just wanted to run a mile away from. But he knew he deserved it… Ah, here he went again.

"Sanji…?" Nami asked quietly, her smile falling slowly as she moved back over.

Sanji shook his head, and glanced at her stomach again and as he did so, a rather goofy smile began spreading across his face. He was going to be a Dad! Something he had wanted to be ever since the first time Nami had gotten pregnant. He reminded himself that _that _was what he was fighting for. If he let himself slip into depression again, who would take care of Nami and the baby? That was his job, and he was adamant that he would be the one to do it.

The idea had grown on him well and truly, and he had been absolutely overwhelmed and overjoyed at the idea of having a baby boy to play with, to teach and to grow and learn with. His head swam with thoughts of the future, of how the baby would look like either him, or Nami, or both. A little replica of themselves, only… different! It was amazing! He wondered if the baby would be very smart like he and Nami, or if it would have any health problems. Would it be a mama's boy, or a daddy's boy? Would it be a fussy eater?

Food was something Sanji was very much looking forward to experiencing with this child. He didn't trust those baby foods in the supermarket, so he was planning on making his own mix. He had researched this the last time Nami had been pregnant and had already concocted several different recipes, but that was so long ago, it was most likely he wouldn't be able to remember them now. That was another thing he had to get ready.

Nami sat beside him and looked at him with slightly concerned eyes as he remained silent.

"Sanji? Are you okay?" She asked, waving a hand in front of him slightly. The blonde made no move to respond before suddenly he turned and latched onto her, smothering his face in her shoulder and laughing. Nami just blinked.

"… What the…?" She noised softly, "What are you doing?" Sanji shook his head a little.

"Nothing, Nami-san. Just thinking about stuff." he replied as he sat back and began digging into his food with a gusto that she hadn't seen him use for a while. Smiling a little, Nami settled back to watch. She knew what 'stuff' meant. It was blatantly obvious.

"By 'stuff' you mean the baby, right?" She asked, a wry smirk settling on her lips. Sanji paused before again that giddy and goofy smile spread across his face as he nodded and paused in his eating.

"We'll be parents, Nami-san…" He said, a soft sigh in his voice. Nami blinked a little before shrugging slightly. They'd been through this before…

"Yes, Sanji. I know." She muttered as she picked up his now empty plate and moved to deposit it in the sink as well. She hadn't given him much, as he'd gone a long time without food, and trying to eat too much after that would only end up making him sick.

"A little part of me, and a little part of you…" Sanji sighed dreamily, leaning back into the cushy pillows of the sofa. "Nami-san… the first time, we… didn't have Zoro and Luffy around." he mused and Nami shrugged slightly again.

"We had Zoro." she corrected as she moved to start the dishwasher.

"Yeah, but… He wasn't like he is now. And Luffy, what are they going to think? I mean… what if something happens?"

"Sanji, you're babbling." she frowned as she turned to face him, "The way Zoro and Luffy's minds are set, they will accept whatever we want them to accept. Their free will doesn't really exist in them yet. They still follow orders, still obey." Sanji nodded slightly.

"But surely they have something in their heads that's going to tell them what to think?" he added and Nami nodded and sighed.

"Yes, they will think something. But you have to remember Sanji… they know _nothing _about babies. … And besides, they're both kind natured. It's not as if they're going to do anything to it, or reject it or whatever. They already act like brothers towards each other, and towards something so small and innocent…" And she shrugged, "Does that make sense?" Sanji nodded and smiled, leaning back in his chair and watching her for a moment.

"Nami-san… I'm so glad I met you." he muttered and Nami blushed and frowned, turning away.

"Shut up, Sanji-kun." She snapped, flustered and embarrassed as she began putting the plates in the dishwasher. Sanji just smiled. Nami was the best…

"Okay, Nami-san." The blonde smiled, yawning slightly, his eyes drooping as he leaned back into the cushions.

Nami moved back into the room and settled beside him, leaning her head against his shoulder and sliding a hand up his back to tangle in his hair, rubbing at his scalp with her nails. She suddenly pulled a face and withdrew the hand, her eyes narrowing.

"Sanki-kun?" she asked lightly, "When was the last time you washed your hair?"

Sanji visibly flinched at that question and turned to face Nami with slightly pink cheeks.

"Um, it was when you washed it…"

"That was last week." Nami replied bluntly, her eyes slanting as she shifted away. "Go on, up and shower."

"But-"

"No buts Sanji," Nami frowned "I'll snuggle with you when you're clean." and suddenly a mischievous smirk wound its way onto her face, "I might even braid your hair if you're really good."

"Oh, goody!" the chef replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes slightly as he climbed to his feet and shuffled out of the room, heading for the stairs.

Quickly making his way up to the bathroom, he started to undress and blinked in surprise as suddenly two smaller hands eased his jacket off. Turning his head slightly, he offered Nami a smile and let her take the black material away. Turning his attention back to his shirt he swiftly un buttoned the thin fabric, not even pausing as his girlfriend moved around, following his wrist with her hands as she undid the button at his wrist, once again taking the clothes from Sanji's body and scrunching it up before tossing it in the wash bin.

By the time Nami turned back around, the blonde was already stepping out of his trousers and moving to the bathtub to adjust the heat levels for his shower. Once at a comfortable heat, he slid out of his boxers and stepped under the spray, letting it patter over his face and hair, with his eyes clenched closed. He wasn't too surprised when a couple of minutes later, Nami's soft body pressed up against his from behind, her thin arms wrapping around his waist in a hug, and he had to compliment himself on the achievement of not flinching at the unexpected contact.

"I missed you, Sanji-kun…" the red head whispered as the showered sprayed over both of them and she rested her cheek against his shoulder.

"I know." He muttered back, blaming the stinging of his eyes on the water, even though they were closed, "It wont happen again."

"…it better not."

Nami's tone was more forceful now, determined even, as she broke away from the hug, turning to grab the shampoo bottle before flipping open the lid and squirting some of the soapy liquid onto Sanji's hair, quickly and expertly massaging it into a lathered foam. The cook simply stood still, his arms limp by his side and head back, letting Nami work. Before long she was done and rinsed away the suds, following up with a quick squirt of conditioner, leaving his hair squeaky clean.

Smiling at her work, Nami grabbed her boyfriends' shoulders, turning him around to face her and raising a hand to wipe away the soap on his closed eyes. Suddenly a wicked smile came to her face and she stopped.

"Nami-san?" Sanji called, but didn't get the chance to ask his question.

"I think I'll let you do that Sanji-kun, whilst I go dry off and get dressed." She explained, smirking, "Wouldn't want you getting too excited now would we?"

The blonde snorted and smiled back, before nodding slightly and turning around, groping for the shower button as Nami climbed out of the tub.

Ten minutes later found the two in their pajamas lying on the bed together. It was only the middle of the day, but neither was going out and didn't really see any point in getting dressed. They lay there in silence, each thinking about the other and their future. One way or another, they were going to get Zoro and Luffy back, and for now that was all that mattered. Any other worries could wait until after that.

---

Two more weeks passed and Sanji was on the road to a full recovery. Although he still hadn't regained most of the weight he'd lost, he was certainly not as unhealthy as what he'd been. His clothes didn't hang from his body like rags anymore, and his hair was back to its usual sparkly, golden colour that the chef prided himself on. He was standing tall, his back was straight and he had his old swagger back in his step again. Nami could have sworn that he'd been replaced, and then had been returned with a bonus. Nothing she said, or did, could basically make him upset.

Luffy had been in the orphanage just over three weeks now and Zoro in the mental institution for 5 weeks. She could see that the cook was missing them, but he was adamant that they would get them back now. He was studying hard for the exams, both physical and written that he would have to carry out to earn the certificate he needed to get Zoro 'under his care' again. All in all, his depression had been pushed to the back of his mind, and each time he felt that darkness creeping up on him again, he would simply take one look at his girlfriend's flat belly, smile and turn back to his studying.

Usopp and Chopper had been stopping by ever since Zoro had left to try and help the two out, offering help in whatever they wanted him to do, no matter how minor. The long nosed entertainer would do their shopping and had helped in taking care of Sanji during his worst moments and both Nami and Sanji were grateful for his presence. Even Chopper had been a help to Nami, lying beside her when she needed a furry shoulder to cry on and nuzzling his snout against her hair, or licking her cheek in an attempt to console her. She had to admit, she'd grown fond of the two since she'd met them only a few weeks earlier. Usopp was apparently the same age as Luffy, and it reminded the two of who they were fighting for. One way or another, they would get their boys back.

Currently, the small group were sitting over a table, brainstorming ideas on how they might be able to get Luffy back with them. Zoro's plan was already set out. Nami would take a first aid course and Sanji would take the 'carer' course that Leith had suggested. Nami could tell Leith had been grudging when he'd revealed the information to them, and that he had meant to say it offhand rather than seriously, but she wasn't stupid. She'd picked up on it, filed it away, and then remembered it for later use. Leith couldn't deny that the course _could_ be taken. And once Sanji had enrolled, then all they would have to do is pass the tests, and Zoro would be theirs. Leith had signed a contract, Zoro currently being his patient, to say that as long as Nami and Sanji achieved all the rightful qualifications, the green haired teen could be placed back under their 'care'. Luffy though, was another case entirely. He was only 16, and could not leave the orphanage of his own accord for another two years, which meant the only way to get Luffy out, would be to adopt him.

Nami had already tried contacting the police with her argument, but Dr Leith's influence had once again proved fatal in her battle. It seemed he had some friends higher up, as instead of taking a week or so for her case to be studied and reviewed before approved or denied, it had been returned the same day, obviously denied. She'd then contacted her lawyer, who had regretfully announced that there was nothing more that could be done, since Luffy seemed to have no other living relatives other than 'Gramps' he could not be taken out of the orphanage. Though Nami and Sanji had 'cared' for him, they were not blood relations as such and had no legal custody over the boy. Nami had then suggested they adopt Luffy, but once again, their lawyer had shaken her head sadly. The odds of their adoption request being approved were highly unlikely. Their age was the major factor there, as they were both financially and socially sound in life. The only way their plea for adoption would have a chance of being approved, were to be if the orphanage were closed down for any reason.

From what Nami had heard from Zoro, there were many, _many_ good reasons why that place could be closed down, but the inspectors sent there were dodgy. If by chance a _real_ inspector should give notice of a visit, they would often come with another crooked inspector. Alvida would have the children washed and cleaned up, fed and threatened into behaving and not saying a word. To Nami's knowledge from Zoro's recollections in their discussions, the building was separated into two half's. One half was the 'show half' where parents wanting to adopt a child would be shown around and in the other half, under ground and accessible through a trap door, pretty much an oversized cellar come storage area, lived the children like Zoro; Alvida's 'favourites'. The majority of children were kept in that half of the building which was actually a separate 'storage' building, or so Alvida had explained.

It seemed that children were very rarely adopted from Alvida's orphanage. Nami figured that had something to do with the social services officers watching the place. In turn that meant that the children would grow up in that place, and upon reaching 18, were kicked out onto the streets, adding to the unstable population of Cleff. All of the evidence was there, if they could only get the right people to see it, and the problem was evident. How would they do that? Obviously they could ask Luffy to give evidence and a statement, but with Luffy's childish state of mind, he may not be considered reliable. Nami had a feeling that he wouldn't give the information away anyway, if what she'd learned from Zoro was true about Alvida's ways. And then, to round off the whole thing and make it a nice, neat and tidy pack of annoying and shitty pains in the butt, they didn't have access to the building, so the group sat stumped.

"You know," Usopp spoke up, keeping his voice low at the sudden break of silence, "I'm an inventor myself…"

"That's nice." Nami answered distractedly, chewing her lip in thought.

"Oi, don't ignore me!!" the long-nose protested indignantly.

"So what does that have to do with anything?" Sanji replied, obviously irritated that Usopp was distracting his thoughts.

"Well, a little while ago, I invented some microscopic cameras!" the entertainer beamed proudly, "They have a battery life of around six to eight days, and don't even need wires or anything!"

"So…?" the blonde urged.

"So, they transmit the video straight to my laptop back at the circus!" Usopp stated, puffing out his chest in pride.

"And… this has _what_ to do with Zoro and Luffy?" Nami asked, raising one delicate ginger eyebrow in curiosity.

"Well, if we could somehow get the cameras installed…"

Both Nami and Sanji's eyes widened, and in unison they exclaimed, "We could get the evidence we need!!"

"Exactly." Usopp smirked, reaching a hand down to rub at the fur on the back of Chopper's neck as he nudged his hand lightly with his snout. The reindeer was obviously proud of him...

"But… how would we get the cameras in there?" Sanji questioned, frowning in thought.

"Heh, just leave _that _to me." Nami stated, a smirk sliding across her face as her eyes narrowed in anticipation.

---

The next morning found Nami hiding in the bushes over by the far fence outside of the orphanage. Ten tiny cameras were in her hand, no bigger than a fingernail and as thin as a coin. She watched as Sanji slowly approached the door and turned her way. Nodding her head to let him know she was ready, Sanji nodded in return and raised a clenched fist, knocking loudly on the thick and musty wooden door. He took a few seconds to straighten down the business suit he was wearing in place of his regular suit and took a deep breath, preparing himself for the act he was about to put on, readying on his brightest, most charming smile as the door opened.

Alvida blinked out at him, a pretty smile on her face that didn't look pretty to Sanji at all. Women were naturally pretty, yes, and Sanji wouldn't debate that. But the things he had heard about this woman, and what she had done to Zoro, and was possibly doing to Luffy... even a _woman_ wasn't pretty when she did those things.

"Hello?" she asked as she peered at him. Sanji blinked, letting his eyes go wide in surprise as he gasped and stood still for a few seconds before shaking his head and smiling, inclining his head slightly.

"My dear! I'm sorry! I was momentarily stunned by your ravishing beauty! Please, forgive me for my rudeness. I am Mr. Prince and I was wondering if you may be interested in purchasing one of our many perfumes? Today only we'll allow free samples." He said, stopping himself from glancing across as Nami made a mad dash for the back of the orphanage, which from Zoro's memory, had a back door which was always left open during the day... Though then he had gone silent, and Nami had guessed he had tried to escape through it and been punished for it...

Actually, he was surprised Nami could run that fast. She'd never seemed to be able to run that quickly… Oh well. Alvida blinked at him for a moment, before smiling and fluttering her eyelashes. This guy was kind of cute… and he might have been worth a few laughs. Sliding out, she closed the door behind her and leaned against it.

"Oh, I would love to! And, I must say, you are quite handsome aren't you Mr Prince?" and she fluttered her eyelashes again. Sanji grinned widely, more at the fact that their plan was going perfectly.

"Why thank you my dear!" he charmed. _Hurry Nami-san... _

---

Nami could barely hear Sanji now, as she hurried around and slipped through the back door. Glancing around to make sure the coast was clear first, she crept in and looked around with narrowed eyes. She was in a dark hallway with numerous door lining the walls. Quickly choosing one, she slipped in, thankful that it had been unlocked. Once inside she snorted at the lush furniture and comfortable surroundings. This room looked like it belonged to one of the carers, but not Alvida. Nami was sure that Alvida's room would be bright pink. She didn't know why, she just had a feeling, and when Nami got a hunch, she was almost always right. No… she _was_ alwaysright.

"Perfect…" she whispered to herself as she hurried over to the door examining it for a good pace to put one of the cameras. Usopp had given her two types; the first being as small as a fingernail and thin as a coin, and the seond being tube like, for fitting into slim cracks in walls or doors. Pulling out a long, white and thin, sticky tube, she placed it on the join between the door frame and the wall, sliding it up and pressing it down into the crack quickly and easily until she got to the end of it, and then pulled the small bit of plastic off the end to reveal a small, black bulb. Adjusting it so it faced into the room and got a clear view, Nami smiled.

Who knew asking Usopp to help would have come in so handy? He really was a good little inventor. She would have to get him something to reward him for doing this. Nine more mini-cameras to plant. Moving out the doorway, she looked around carefully, making sure that no one was coming. After planting another tube on the outside of the door, she hurried down the corridor. It was so cold in this place, and the floors were made up of dirty old boards that would surely keep _nothing _out. She was disgusted to see that dried blood spattered them too.

The walls were tall, and held no colours, or even life for that matter. It seemed as if this whole place felt the misery that the children felt. This was obviously the hallway that lead to the underground area where the kids were kept, apparently there was even a level below that; a small room that Alvida threw the kids in to punish them. That's be a good place to plant a camera if she could find it…

She'd never come in here to look after finding out about Zoro's past, but now she had the chance, she understood why he hated this place, and was so scared of it. That made her all the more determined to get Luffy out of here as quickly as possible.

Sighing, the redhead quickly located the trap door leading down to the dark and gloomy rooms below. The whole place was silent save for the odd and distant sound of cleaning. Scrubbing here and sweeping there. Quickly she set to work on finding spots on the wall or in rooms where she thought they would have the best view. Scuttling down the hallway, with three cameras left to place, Nami paused to listen as she heard something. She blinked and then turned back to have someone hurry around the corner and crash straight into her. Sitting on the floor and rubbing at her head, Nami blinked up at the figure.

"L-Luffy!" she cried as she leapt to her feet and latched onto him in a massive hug. Luffy giggled lightly before breaking into a chesty cough, his eyes watering and his chest heaving. He was paler than ever, and that left Nami extremely worried.

"H-Hi Nami!" Luffy replied, his voice a little croaky due to a sore and dry throat. Nami pulled away from him, her eyes watering slightly from the sadness of the situation, and simple happiness at seeing the boy again.

"You're still sick, aren't you…?" she asked, looking him over, "I have a plan. We'll get you out of here in no time. Now, are there any rooms in particular that are used to hurt some of the kids?"

"I'm not allowed to say…" Luffy replied, a small smile on his face, looking more tired than Nami had ever seen him. "I gotta go-" and the sentence was broken of by a wide yawn, bringing tears to the boys eyes, "I have chores to do."

He squeezed Nami once more before turning to walk away. The redhead blinked after him sadly before grabbing his arm and pulling him back for another tight hug, running her fingers through his hair and not caring how greasy it was. His hat fell to settle against his back, tied to a piece of string that Nami hadn't seen before.

"Zoro really misses you. He cares about you a lot. So don't worry…" and she sniffled slightly as she pulled back, tears on her cheeks, "We'll get you out, and we'll get you better."

Luffy laughed lightly again, staring sleepily. He opened his mouth as if to say something, and then thought better of it. Smiling sadly, Luffy shrugged a little.

"I have chores to do…" and without another word, he turned and walked away. Nami could see how much thinner Luffy had gotten, and how much slower he walked now compared to that whiz or a little cleaning machine that had scurried around their house like a whirlwind just weeks ago. He really didn't look well at all. Nami sighed sadly as Luffy turned the corner and was gone.

"Bye…" she said softly before hurrying along the corridor, around a corner and setting one up there, and then into what looked like a simple, small room, but had scratches in the wall. Upon closer inspection, Nami noticed they were made by human fingers, and it unnerved her greatly. Planting a tube in one of the corners and wiping her hand over the wall to get some dirt, she disguised it easily. Hurrying back out, Nami heard a yell down the hall and flinched, ducking back inside and peeking through a crack, but no one came.

The yell sounded like it had come from a little kid. Pressing her lips together, Nami dodged out and planted another tube on the outside of the door to the room. Once she had done that, she bolted back the way she had come. Luffy was nowhere to be seen. Spotting the door at the end of the hallway, she made a mad dash and slid out. Job done. Now, to find Sanji again. Running back towards her dedicated 'hiding bush', Nami could hear her boyfriend blathering on about some perfume. God, she'd never noticed how much that man could talk! Dropping behind her bush again, she hoped Sanji had seen her.

Indeed Sanji had, and with a bright smile he wrapped up his little speech.

"And you get all of this for a one time only price of 96,000." he ended, grinning widely at Alvida as her face went from one of polite boredom, to pure nastiness.

"What are you!? Nuts!? Get outta here!" she growled at him, "Fool." and then she turned around and slammed the door in his face. Sniggering quietly, Sanji raced back over to where Nami was and beamed as she smiled proudly at him.

"Perfect. Who knew you were such a good actor? Come on, let's get out of here." and she grabbed his hand and they raced out the gate together, hoping that their plan would work as well as it had on paper.

---

**Clarobell: A reminder peoples, Plushie and I have no clue how adoption and doctors work, so don't expect perfection! Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review!**

**Plushie: ADOPT MEH!! ;; -is slapped- ow? what? Oh, wait, right... REVIEW:) **


	26. The Test

**Clarobell: Can't remember if I mentioned this to you before, but the seasons in Cleff, follow that of Australia, meaning Christmas time is summer, and July and such is winter, mmk?**

**Apologies for the uber late post, but well, some MAJOR revisions are underway. To give you an idea of how major, let's just say that when we originally posted this fanfiction, this chapter was chapter 17. Yes, that much has been changed XD**

**The DD forum is now up and open for anybody interested in asking questions. There's a poll open as to guesses on the sex of Sanji's and Nami's baby. If you want any more polls, let me know.**

**Plushie: Enjoy the chapter! **

* * *

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 26: The Test**_

Nami hurried down the hospital corridor to Zoro's room; Sanji followed silently behind her, a small smirk on his face and his hands in his pockets. Two days had passed since their little plan had been put into action, and Usopp had already informed her that there had been some shots of the carers doing horrible things to the children. But, none of them were Alvida. She was managing to stay out of sight apart from walking past at times. Both had been a little disappointed about that. They knew that she was the one who had caused Zoro the most pain, and wanted her to pay for it. It was almost as if she knew the cameras were there, but that was impossible. If she did, she would have removed them already.

Nami paused beside the familiar door, throwing a glance her boyfriend's way and smiling slightly. She had visited Zoro as often as possible over the past weeks and had constantly informed him of Sanji's improvements and how things were at home; how she and Sanji had bought him numerous gifts for his return; new clothes and such. She could tell he was more modest and embarrassed about that though. He just bowed his head and watched his fingers in his lap, smiling his creepy smile and mumbling 'thank you' every few minutes. Aside from the creepy smile, she had to admit, he looked adorable.

Sanji had decided not to visit until he looked a little better, not wanting Zoro to see him as he did last time. He couldn't even _remember _the last time he visited Zoro, but he was sure he must have been pretty pathetic at that point. Straightening his tie once more, the chef nodded towards Nami to let her know he was ready. Neither of them had discussed their idea with the cameras in the orphanage to Zoro, as they had wanted to explain whilst both of them were there. They couldn't see Zoro reacting badly at all, but they couldn't see him reacting over the moon about it either. He'd be worried that Alvida would find out, and then punish Luffy for it. But if both of them were together, then one could look to the other when they ran out of reassurances. It also seemed to work better if both of them insisted that everything was fine.

Nami smiled at the blonde and nodded back, blowing him a kiss and winking before knocking on the door and swiping the card she had been issued to get inside Zoro's locked door. She wondered sometimes if he felt as much of a prisoner as he looked. Leith had informed them that Zoro received nutritious meals, and was escorted outside for several walks each day. This was obviously to keep him healthy and fit, but Nami wondered if that was really the case. Her green haired friend seemed just a little too pale to be out in the sun very often, and on more than one occasion over the last few weeks, she'd seen him flinch from brightness. That observation made her also wonder whether he was kept in the dark sometimes. She and Sanji both knew Zoro hated the dark. Che, right, 'hated' was an understatement. It reminded him of his punishments in the orphanage, but knowing Leith, he'd probably tried to 'control' Zoro's 'episodes' by keeping him in a dark and quiet environment. Idiot. She wondered how scared Leith got when Zoro started thrashing and breaking things... and then she realised they would just sedate him again.

Sighing once more, the redhead steeled herself and imagined the happy look on Zoro's face when she walked in. That was always enough to make her smile. Opening the door, she peeked her head around first to make sure the occupant wasn't sleeping, but as usual, Zoro was on his bed, smiling at nothing and humming a tuneless song.

"Zoro!" she announced and he slowly turned his head, blinking tiredly before his eyes widened and he smiled even wider, for real.

"Nami!" he replied, happy to see her as usual.

Nami moved inside and took the seat next to the bed which had been provided for her.

"I brought somebody to see you," she smiled, a mischievous glint to her eyes. Zoro blinked in a mixture of confusion and curiosity. He knew it was impossible she could have gotten Luffy back so soon, and Sanji was a mess, so, who could it be? Judging from the happy glow to her dark eyes, Zoro figured it must be someone good and smiled back slightly himself, glancing to the side a little nervously.

"Who?" he asked, almost a little timidly, not used to getting any visitors other than Nami. It didn't help that he wasn't particularly fond of strangers to begin with...

Sanji took a deep breath. That was his cue. Poking his head around the door, he grinned widely before entering the room and letting the door close behind him.

"Hey Marimo, long time no see." he said, grinning like a fool.

Zoro blinked in shock, taking in everything about the blonde standing in front of him, right down to the once again shined shoes and generally confident stance. He… he was back to normal. Zoro couldn't believe it. He blinked at Sanji for a moment, not quite daring to believe it, before his eyes widened.

"Sanji?" he asked, disbelief shining in his emerald eyes as he turned on the bed letting his legs slide off to rest on the floor. Sanji smirked as he swaggered fully into the room, giving a light twirl as he reached Nami, as if he were strutting down a catwalk.

"That's me." he responded, as he moved over to recline on the bed beside Zoro. The smile stayed small for a moment, Zoro's disbelief of things that just didn't seem real overwhelming the obvious evidence in front of him. But soon, when Sanji (nor his cocky smirk) disappeared, the teen finally brightened completely. He wasn't a happy person by nature (and obviously from past experiences) but, to see someone who was so down and out... and was his friend had now recovered completely... it was an incredible morality boost. Sanji watched Zoro out of the corner of his eye, letting the other teen just stare at him for a while. Hell, from the look on the guy's face he wouldn't have been surprised if Zoro slapped him just to make sure he was real. Once he had given Zoro time to get over his shock a bit, he smirked even wider.

Leaning over to his friend with a rather sly grin that was a usual part of his character, Sanji whispered, "And over there you can see my fiancée to be, though she doesn't know it yet, and my kid, currently growing inside her." and he smirked widely. Zoro stared at him, totally lost for words before he burst into laughter, clapping a hand over his mouth as usual. Nami smiled in delight, not having any idea what they were talking about, but loving the fact that her two boys were laughing and smiling again. Sanji watched Zoro for a moment before smiling a little sadly.

"I'm sorry you had to see me that way Zoro… but I'm ok now." he said and Zoro stopped laughing abruptly, taking his hand away from his mouth and blinking at the blonde chef. Shaking his head, the green haired teen did that weird smile that Sanji was quickly learning had nothing to do with the current situation, and everything to do with the nurses watching through the tinted wall. Zoro was a 'special care' patient after all, that needed constant supervision due to his 'aggressive nature'. Or so Leith had said.

"Don't worry about it man… as long as you're back to normal now." Zoro shrugged, his tone a little more perky than what should have been normal. Sanji glanced at Nami, who shrugged minimally. She was relieved that Zoro wasn't hiding from them, but she was worried that he would fall back on it after what they were about to do. Zoro looked over at Nami, who smiled at him. Sanji frowned, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again and steeling himself for the inevitable.

"Well, I'm gonna head to the bathroom." Nami spoke up suddenly, smiling slightly, though Zoro couldn't help but notice it was a little forced.

"Okay…" he muttered, watching as the ginger haired woman left the room, throwing him one last glance before she disappeared out the door. Zoro blinked again, wondering why she seemed so hesitant to go. She was just going to the bathroom, right? What was so scary about the bathroom? Giving a half hearted shrug, Zoro turned his attention back to Sanji, smiling in relief as he still appeared to be fine. He wouldn't be surprised if this _was_ all a dream actually…

The silence between the two men continued for another minute or two before Sanji cleared his throat and nudged Zoro with his elbow lightly.

"So," he smiled, "How do you feel about Nami-san being pregnant again?"

"I-It's great!" Zoro replied quickly, not wanting to upset Sanji at all. Honestly, he didn't really understand the whole 'pregnant' thing, other than it made Nami get fatter last time. "I promise I won't do anything wrong this time! I _promise_!"

There was a nervous twitch from the teen beside him and Sanji _almost _regretted bringing the subject up, but it would have to be faced sooner or later. He couldn't help but notice how Zoro wouldn't meet his eyes, and how he kept one hand hidden but his arm seemed to twitch every now and again. Yeah... Zoro was still blaming himself for that one.

"Zoro," Sanji muttered, sighing quietly, "It wasn't you're fault. What happened-"

The cook didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as the lights suddenly flickered before shutting off completely, leaving them in the pitch black. Zoro let out a strangled gasp, and though Sanji couldn't see him, he could imagine the horrified look on the teen's face. Deep gasps soon followed as Zoro started to panic and Sanji could feel the bed shift under the weight of the teen moving around. A scratching sound soon followed and the blonde knew Zoro was scratching the walls, trying to get out. Poor guy...

He had been expecting this. For the past week, Sanji had undergone an intensive training course on how to 'handle' Zoro's behaviour and 'episodes'. Sanji had had to laugh when he got home after some of the classes though. He'd quoted them to Nami, who had laughed humourlessly. Some of the 'treatments' included suggestions such as 'touching the patient on the upper part of the arm in a firm gesture, is a comforting move that will calm most patients down.' Che, right, the first time they'd tried that with Zoro, he'd nearly broken Nami's arm and _then _it had gotten bad.

The dark stayed absolute, and Sanji listened silently to Zoro's continuing escape attempts. This was as much of a test for Zoro right now as it was for him. The hospital and Dr Leith had agreed to do the test based upon Nami's notes taken over the past months' experience with the teen and the nurse's experience from the hospital. It was concluded that Zoro reacted most violently when he was panicked and in the dark, as he could not see what he or any others were doing and became violent, trying to keep anything away from him. Well, Nami and Sanji really couldn't blame him there. After all, being tortured in the dark wasn't exactly like going to Luna Park or the Circus.

The test would consist of the lights being shut off in Zoro's room, and outside, and with no windows, the room would be left in complete darkness. Sanji, after determining a method of action from Zoro's reaction, would then have to try and calm his 'patient' down. If successful, he would then have to move on in the course to study alternate methods that may help prevent the episodes in the first place and how to handle Zoro better when he did panic. It was also important, that Zoro didn't know that this was an actual 'test', as if he did, he would obviously try to stay calm so that Sanji could pass and he could get out of the hospital. The results would then be void and Sanji would have to try at a later stage, possibly after several weeks or even months. The cook didn't want that to happen. Zoro had suffered enough in this place as it was, and he was determined to get him out as soon as possible.

Heaving a deep, but silent breath, he calmed himself before speaking.

"Zoro…? Can you hear me?" he asked, in a calm and quiet voice. His only reply was a stifled gasp and the sounds of Zoro scrambling away from him. "Zoro, I want you to listen to my voice. Whose voice is it?"

Once again, scattered breathing and frantic footsteps were his only reply and Sanji sighed silently. Zoro wasn't listening to him. He knew that touching him at a time like this would result in failure, as that would only make Zoro panic. He had to make him realise he was with him and he was going to help him. Narrowing his eyes, he strained to try and see his friend, but shook his head, realising it was futile. Straining his ears instead, he listened for where Zoro was in the room. After a few seconds, he pinpointed the teen to be at his left and turned to speak in that general direction.

"Zoro? It's Sanji. _Sanji_." The blonde waited.

"...Sanji?" came a timid, quiet voice after a while, shaking with tremors, "T-Too dark… _she's_ coming!"

Zoro's voice was barely audible, quieter than a whisper, and Sanji's heart went out to him.

"Zoro, _she's_ not coming, okay?" the cook whispered back, not wanting to startle Zoro by speaking any louder. "I'm here, and I'll protect you, okay?"

"_S-She'll_ hurt you." Zoro replied timidly, and Sanji could just imagine him shaking his head.

He knew Zoro had real problems with that sort of thing. Any mention of he, or Nami protecting him and he flew off the handle. Saying that they should just 'leave him alone' or 'forget about him' and then he would stalk off in a mild huff/annoyed fit. It was a complete switch, and was a weird and back to front speech, but that was Zoro. They hadn't pressed the matter... some things were just better left. Soon, Zoro would figure out that until he was healthy enough and learned to protect himself... then he was going to have to rely on the safety that Sanji and Nami provided... Shaking his head again, the blonde turned his attention back to Zoro. The teen needed his protection right now, after all.

"No, she won't. I'm strong, remember?" Sanji smiled slightly and carefully slid off the bed, creeping closer to where he had heard Zoro's voice. "I'm coming to sit with you, okay?"

He heard a shuffle and guessed Zoro was fidgeting nervously. In the past, when he would have a panic attack, Nami and Sanji would normally leave him alone to ride it out, as every time they'd tried to help him, he'd lashed out at them. Because of this, Zoro had never been 'comforted' during times like that. Sometimes, when he had learned to trust them better, they could calm him down to a mild panic attack but never had they been able to subdue it completely. The first time had been when Luffy had hugged him, and even then, he was hardly aware of what was happening.

"Zoro," Sanji called as he slowly stepped closer, "I'm almost to where you are now, okay? I'm going to reach out and try to touch you, just remember, it's _me_ touching you, alright?"

"O-Okay." Zoro replied, though he didn't sound very certain.

He hoped this didn't get him failed... or get his arm broken. Sanji decided to take the risk and slowly reached out, brushing skin with Zoro, and even though he had warned his friend, he still felt the violent flinch at the contact.

"It's me. Zoro, it's Sanji. I'm right here." The cook whispered, slowly sliding down to sit in front of Zoro, who by now was shaking even harder. Desperately, the blonde tried to think of a way for Zoro to realise it was him before he got _too_ panicked. "Look! Look here." and he grabbed Zoro's hands in a loose grip, bringing them up to his own head and resting them on his hair. "Feel how short my hair is? And my voice is _way_ too deep, right? I'm not _her_, Zoro."

Slowly, the green haired teen gripped the hair, letting his hands slide down and fall away, blinking into the darkness and wishing he could see. He raised his hands up again, groping blindly in the air until he came in contact with broad shoulders and blinked at the touch of the material. It was thick and… almost silky. Just like what Sanji wore! It was Sanji! It really was!

"S-Sanji?"

"Yeah," the cook smiled widely, even though he knew Zoro couldn't see it, "I'm right here. Just take a few deep breaths, okay Marimo? Try and calm down. The lights will be back on soon."

"Okay," Zoro whispered back, still glancing around the dark room timidly, "A-Are you the only one here?"

"Yeah, it's just me and you."

"...Oh." Zoro replied quietly. Sanji could still feel one shivering hand on his shoulder, but the other had fallen away and he could hear the shifting of material, "... I... don't have a p-pocket to put m-my hand in..." Even though the sentence was said with all the seriousness in the world, Sanji couldn't help but smile.

"No. Guess you picked the wrong day to wear pocketless trousers, eh? Bugger." he replied, still keeping his voice soft and quiet. His smile grew even wider when he heard Zoro give a very soft and timid snort. They sat like that in silence for another few minutes before Zoro finally heaved a shuddering breath.

"... She's... really not coming..." It wasn't a question, but a statement, "When are the l-lights coming back on?"

"I don't know, Marimo. But I'm here if you need me, ne?" Sanji replied. They sat in silence for a time longer and suddenly the blonde felt Zoro shuffle closer.

"Can... Can I tell you... something?" the man's voice was barely audible, no, it wasn't audible! The only way Sanji had heard it was by the breathing patterns travelling to his ears. His eyes narrowed slightly and he nodded.

"Yeah." he breathed back.

"... Wh-when I was little-" but Zoro paused there as brilliance flooded the room and made both teens flinch in the sudden glare and drove all thoughts of what Zoro had been about to say from both their heads. Zoro squinted, wanting to close his eyes against the pain that throbbed through his eyes, but if he did that then he wouldn't get to see if it really had been Sanji sitting in front of him.

The blonde was having equal trouble seeing, blinking and squinting for a little while before finally sighing and relaxing as his normal vision returned. Zoro was right there, squinting back at him. He was slightly red in the face, and his hair was tousled as if he had run his hands through it in agitation. He probably had. The hand on Sanji's shoulder didn't release and the blonde didn't make any move to pull away, let alone force the touch off of him. That would be the worst thing he could do right now. Not only would it be cold and cruel... it'd severely damage his chances of ever getting Zoro to trust him again.

The green haired teen finally managed to open his green eyes properly, and stared at the man sitting on the floor in front of him for a few minutes before again the smile of relief creased his face.

"See? Was me all along, wasn't it?" Sanji asked, and Zoro nodded hesitantly. He glanced Sanji up and down a bit more, just to make sure it really _was _him, before sighing a little.

"It's hard..." the other teen began, moving his hand from Sanji's shoulder and back into his own lap, "To hear anything." Sanji watched him for a moment, wondering if he was going to elaborate on what it felt like during those episodes, but he didn't get any answers. All Zoro did was sit there and fiddle with his fingers. Sanji glanced at them, remembering the scratching the teen had been doing and frowned slightly when he saw the nails had been cut right back to the point where skin had been nipped. He couldn't say anything to anyone, aside from Nami, about it either because the nurses would just protest Zoro had been disagreeable and had caused the damage himself.

Nami hurried in a few minutes later to see the two getting to their feet. Zoro was a little shaky, but he was doing fine. Sanji paused as he remembered what Zoro was about to say... but with Nami here, he didn't want to bring it up again anyway. The red head bustled over to them, hurriedly wiping tears from her glassy eyes and grabbing Sanji in a hug before turning to Zoro. She smiled a little and held out her arms, inviting him to hug her only if it was on _his _terms. The teen looked at her for a moment, before he stepped forward and gave her a short and quick squeeze before pulling away quickly.

"Well done!" She congratulated both Sanji and Zoro.

"W-What?" Zoro stuttered, confusion dancing in his eyes. "For what?"

"That was your first test Zoro. You passed, and so did we." Sanji said, smiling.

"Test…?" the green haired teen repeated, glancing between the two. "You mean, Nami was watching?"

"That's right." Nami whispered, "The doctors have to test you and Sanji to see how you behave around us before Sanji can complete that course I was telling you about, remember Zoro?"

Zoro nodded slightly, looking uncertain. Sanji smiled reassuringly and stepped forward, slightly resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, from the looks of Nami-san, we both just passed, and those bastard doctors can't do a thing about that." The cooks voice was low, barely a whisper as he leaned in closer so Zoro could hear him. The green haired teen didn't pull away. He wanted to hear what Sanji had to say. "We're now one step closer to getting you out of here, eh Marimo?"

Blinking a little stupidly, Zoro offered a shaky smile before looking at the wall and glaring slightly. So it was _their _doing, not Sanji's free will. That solved that issue then... He wasn't mad at Sanji... he was mad at them!

"Oh…" he noised as a soft response, thinking how much he'd love to throw something at them, but he would get sedated and in trouble if he did that. At that moment, Leith walked in smiling, with his arms crossed. Zoro instinctively put on his big smile, and backed away from the doctor a little, a motion that didn't go unnoticed. Leith ignored it, while Sanji and Nami turned rather nasty eyes on him.

"Nicely done Sanji." He said, but the blonde shook his head and smirked as he stood. If he wasn't in this hospital... Sanji let out a small breath to stop himself from kicking the guy in the head.

"Zoro deserves the credit." and he shrugged as he moved to walk out. Zoro looked at him in mild shock, glancing at Leith and then focusing on Sanji. Had... he made Sanji mad now too?

"You're… leaving?" he asked hesitantly. He didn't want Sanji to go... not with Leith in here. If Sanji was here, then Leith wouldn't dare to do anything. Leith looked between them and then smiled and left, not congratulating Zoro at all. As a doctor, he'd seen a lot of things during his time, and he'd met a lot of people. Most of those people seemed to like him, and even if they didn't, they would still be polite. But Zoro, he wanted nothing to do with him; wouldn't talk to him, wouldn't respond to him, just… ignored him. Even if he had of said anything to Zoro, the teen probably wouldn't have even listened. So why bother? Sanji glanced back at Zoro and smiled a little, seeing the teen relax now that Leith had gone.

"Only for a little while. I have to get something…" he replied and with a short wave, left the room as well.

Zoro watched the closed door for a moment before turning to Nami with a quizzical look. She shrugged, but smirked, obviously knowing what was going on but not telling. Zoro blinked for a moment but knew better than to ask. The nurses didn't like questions. He had once asked when he was allowed to go home, but the nurse had ignored him. He thought maybe she hadn't heard him, and so asked again, but once again received no reply, and later sedated him for some reason. So now he refrained from asking needless questions. But he knew Nami wouldn't hurt him, so, he decided to ask about Luffy instead. He missed him... a lot. He'd gotten used to having Luffy sleep beside him, or near him, and now that he was here, he was very lonely.

"Heard anything from Luffy?" Zoro asked suddenly, drawing his legs back onto the bed and leaning against the wall. His chest was still pounding, and he was still panting, but that was calming quickly.

"Mhm," Nami replied and Zoro's eyes snapped over to her and she grinned cheekily before moving over and sliding onto the bed next to him so she could talk without too much being heard by the people watching.

"Is he alright?" The teen asked; his tone panicked.

Nami sighed but didn't respond to that question. She didn't know what to say about Luffy yet. She wondered whether Zoro still had nightmares in here. She imagined so. Luffy was the only one who could quell those.

"Sanji and I came up with a plan." Nami began, for now she would try to explain without Sanji. The little surprise he was bringing Zoro would calm the teen down, if nothing else. "I managed to sneak into the orphanage while Sanji distracted Alvida." Zoro jerked at the name, but listened.

"I bumped into Luffy and… he doesn't look so good." Nami finished with a sigh as she decided the truth was better. Zoro would have gotten suspicious if she had said 'he's fine'. The hospitalised teen's face turned into one of concern. Now he was worried.

"W-what's wrong with him? Is he still sick? Is he being beaten?" Zoro asked, winding himself into a panic until Nami quickly ran a hand through his hair and shushed him. He was so worried about Luffy.

"He's still sick, and I think he's gone back to thinking he has to do everything. He said he had chores, and then walked off. But don't worry. It won't be another week and we'll have him out of there." Nami assured him and Zoro blinked at her before narrowing his eyes a little.

"What did you do?" he asked cautiously. Nami grinned one of her most devilish smiles.

"Just a little surveillance." she replied innocently, "While I was in there, I set up a few little cameras and they'll last at least three days on their battery power and it's already been two days. Usopp has the computer that's linked to them, and he's recording it for us. We'll get all of those carers put into jail for child abuse, and we'll get Luffy back into our care." and she winked. Zoro blinked at her, shocked beyond words before a wide smile spread across his face, a real one.

"Nami!" he said. Nami couldn't help but feel that Zoro was still a little too perky for his personality, but, she put it to the back of her mind for now.

"I thought it was a good idea too. We were talking about it, wondering how we could pull it off when Usopp came to visit and see if you guys were doing okay. He heard what we were talking about, and then came up with the idea of these little tube things that could be stuck in places and video tape whatever happened around them. Then he _made _them." Nami explained and Zoro nodded, listening intently. Nami explained everything that had happened and Zoro listened, his eyes drooping slowly each time she paused to think of what had happened next.

Turning his face away a little, Zoro's eyes drooped and he tried to hold back a yawn. Nami smirked, but didn't say anything. Zoro had to stay awake for Sanji to come back. Speak of the devil. That was when the chef decided to re enter the room, a plastic container about the size of a bowl in his hand, and a plastic spoon with it. Zoro looked up at him and Sanji handed the container to him and smirked.

"Chocolate pudding." he said as Zoro stared at it and then looked up at him quizzically, "It's your reward." and the blonde sat down on the other side of Zoro while Nami beamed at him and Zoro blinked down at the pudding in his hands before tentatively beginning to eat. He hadn't eaten anything like this since he had gotten here. Sanji smirked as he watched.

Once Zoro was finished and he put the bowl down, he asked how home was, and then asked about the next tests, but Sanji and Nami had no idea when they were scheduled, and what they would be. They were supposed to be erratic so Zoro couldn't tell when they were going to happen, and would react naturally rather than acting it out and getting ready for it. This time, as Sanji was answering another of his questions, Zoro couldn't hold back his yawn and he covered his mouth, hoping to hide it. He was so tired.

"Come on Sanji. Zoro needs to sleep." Nami said and Sanji slipped off the bed, picking up the empty container and smirking at Zoro, who blinked up at them slowly.

"Huh?" he asked dopily, "Oh, bye! Come back soon, eh?"

"We will. See ya Marimo." Sanji replied and moved to the door. Nami quickly ran a hand through Zoro's hair and that was the final straw. The teen slumped to the side, fast asleep and Nami smirked as she moved back over to Sanji again.

"Still got the magic touch." she said, wriggling her fingers as they walked out. Sanji smirked at her.

* * *

Clarobell: Happy Christmas People! Hope you ahve a good one! Don't forget about the forum, and we'll be watching those reviews, yes we will.

Plushie: Review! Or mutant monkeys wearing big christmas hats will come and attempt to eat your... christmas pudding. XD Oh, Merry Christmas everyone, and have a happy new year! 8D 


	27. Two Thirds of a Family

**Clarobell: Hey guys! A few of you got confused last chapter. You thought Leith overheard Nami and would tell Alvida, but no! He walked out of the room to tend to other business and Nami spoke quiet enough so as not to be overheard, mmk?**

**Happy New year everybodies!**

**Plushie: Hippy Nu Yar! 83 Hope you had a good Christmas **

* * *

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 27: Two Thirds of a Family**_

The next week passed all too slowly for Nami and Sanji. Every day they would drop by the circus to see Usopp and ask if there had been any progress, and every day horrified them more than the last. It seemed that what little information Zoro had leaked to them over the past months couldn't even be considered the icing on the cake. The three watched in horror (with Chopper hovering around them all, occasionally nudging a hand for attention) as the 'carers' in the orphanage took turns to beat the children until they cried. It was like some kind of twisted game of 'who could make them cry first'. The thought wasn't spoken aloud, but silently the group wondered if Luffy would cry... and if Zoro had cried too. It was a pathetic and gut churning sight to watch.

Nami had never felt so furious watching those sick bastards. Who would want to hurt a child?! The thought made a hand slide to her stomach almost instinctively and narrowing her eyes, she turned away. It was just too disgusting to watch. Sanji glanced at her and his own eyes narrowed angrily at the screen in front of him.

"Thanks Usopp," she muttered a little awkwardly, "We really appreciate this, you know."

"I know," the long nosed man smirked back, "And I knew the last eighteen times you told me too!"

"Ahh, sorry," Sanji apologised on behalf of his blushing girlfriend. "We just want them back, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Usopp smiled, "C'mon, let's go have a snack and let the cameras record some more."

Both gave a small nod and followed the performer to the 'lounge' area of the tent he lived in. Chopper trotted after them with a snort, circling around Sanji. The blonde smirked, knowing just what the little reindeer wanted.

"Alright, Chopper." He smiled, pulling the bag he had brought off his back and digging through it until he pulled a small container. "Here." And he handed the container over, resisting the urge to laugh in amusement as the small reindeer pranced from one foot to the other excitedly before taking the container in his mouth and clopping over to his owner. Usopp inspected it curiously before finally turning to Sanji.

"What is it?"

"Nami-san and I wanted to thank you for all your help, so last time I went to the library, Nami-san researched reindeer, whilst I did my studying." Sanji explained casually, sliding one hand into his pocket as the other held his pack over one shoulder. "Let's just call it reindeer chocolate, eh?"

"Reindeer… chocolate?" Usopp blinked, glancing down at his animal friend and smiling as Chopper hopped around, before balancing on his back legs in a typical begging position. It was obvious the creature could smell his treat. "All right, all right," Usopp laughed, "Come here and I'll open it for you."

Chopper, as usual, obeyed Usopp's command and plopped down into a sitting position, tongue occasionally licking his snout in hunger. As soon as the treat was in the bowl, he dashed forward.

"Oi! Chopper!! Bad boy!" the long nosed performer scolded, and his reindeer stopped in his tracks, letting out a soft flurry of stamps and snorts. "Yeah, I know you're sorry, just wait until I say it's okay next time, go on."

Chopper slinked forward, eyeing Usopp carefully, but when the teen reached out, ruffling his fur playfully, his confidence returned and he dug into the 'reindeer chocolate'.

"So what's in that anyway?" Usopp asked curiously, grimacing at the mess Chopper was making in his haste. Not to mention the dark food was sinking into the reinder's snout, meaning he would have to be cleaned up when he'd finished.

"Lots of healthy, disgusting, gunky stuff." Sanji smiled back, although it was a little forced. Usopp raised an eyebrow, glancing at the food Chopper loved so much, and silently pondering what it could be.

"Sanji-kun had to use tongs to pick a lot of it up, because he wouldn't touch it with his hands." Nami giggled, reaching out to snatch up one of the chef's hands and give it a squeeze. "We also made a little something for you."

"For… me?" Usopp asked, a little dumbstruck, thrown from his thoughts of Chopper's food. He and his parents had been circus performers for as long as he could remember, and probably before that too. In all his life, though his friends and family were kind, they never really celebrated birthdays and such. His only gifts came from his parents, and when he was six, he had lost them in a freak accident whilst they were performing. Since then he had been raised by the circus staff.

"Yes, for… you." Sanji smirked, deliberately mimicking Usopp's tone, "Here." And he reached inside his backpack, pulling out a larger container and handing it to Usopp. There was a moment of silence while the long nose just stared, before Chopper snorted and made him start, knocking him out of his silent reverie.

"Um, thank you!" the long nose blinked, shocked at the sheer size of the container. Slowly opening the lid, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Whoa…"

Inside lay the most beautiful cake Usopp had ever seen, and to top it off, it was shaped like the Big Top. The long nose couldn't believe it! All of the details were there and there was even a mini figurine of himself and Chopper made from icing. Even the colours were exact! He glanced around him at the colour of the striped tent and his jaw only dropped further. It was like someone had taken a picture of his home, him, and his best friend and slapped it into cake form.

"How did you…? I mean, this is so…! I just, thank you, guys!! Do you mind if I share this with the other circus folk?"

"It's your cake, you do what you want." Sanji smiled widely, thoroughly happy with their new friend's reaction.

"You had better savour it though!" Nami warned, suddenly looming over Usopp, "That cakes filling was made from my precious Mikan's! They were transported all the way from my mother's garden, and I expect you to enjoy it. _Thoroughly_!"

"Y-Yes!!" Usopp cringed, and Chopper abandoned his treat in favour of cowering under his chair. "Of course!"

"Nami-san," Sanji called softly, "Calm down please, remember the baby."

Nami sucked in a deep breath before sitting back down with a pleasant smile which only caused Usopp to cringe further.

"Frightening!" he hissed to the young reindeer shaking under his seat. Chopper snorted in agreement before hesitantly creeping back over to his food. Usopp smiled at his little friend before packing up the cake again and setting it aside. "You know guys, I think we might have enough evidence to take these guys on."

"Are you sure?" Sanji asked, eyes narrowing in thought and a little anxiety. After all, if the evidence wasn't enough, and they couldn't prove properly that something wrong was happening within the orphanage... then they wouldn't be allowed to do anything about it.

"Mhm..." Usopp nodded, getting up and moving over to where his computer was sitting on a solitary table in the room, humming quietly and looking innocent. "I mean, we could wait a little longer if you want but..." He trailed off as he tapped away at the computer's keyboard, brining up several new windows, the silence only broken by the snuffles of Chopper as the little reindeer licked his bowl clean.

"We don't want to make any mistakes, Usopp," Nami said hesitantly but firmly, moving up behind the long nosed teenager and peering over his shoulder, brushing her hair behind one ear.

"I know, I know," the boy replied in a mildly annoyed tone, but shrank down a little when the orange haired woman raised a delicate eyebrow, "I-I mean, I'm concerned about getting Luffy back too. But there's heaps of footage here..."

"Any of Alvida?" Sanji inquired, eyes narrowing minimally and almost imagining the short look of fear that passed across Zoro's eyes every time that name was mentioned. Usopp tapped at the computer for a moment before he gave a slightly hesitant sigh and leaned back.

"No... Nothing of her." the circus performer shook his head, rubbing at the end of his long nose and frowning slightly. Though he hadn't learned _everything _about the Alvida - Zoro relationship, he had figured enough to know that the owner of the orphanage certainly wasn't a nice person.

"How can there be nothing?" Nami asked, her voice taking on a suddenly high note, "She's the one who does it to them! She's the one Zoro's scared of! The one he said would more than likely hurt Luffy!" Sanji frowned slightly and took Nami's shoulders, giving her a look that clearly said 'calm down'. The orange haired woman growled in frustration, eyes narrowing dangerously, before she moved and sat back in her chair again.

"We want to get her, Usopp..." Sanji said, watching his girlfriend for a moment before turning back to the brown haired boy beside him. Nodding a little, the long nose's face became stoic.

"Alright. How about we wait another day, and see what we come up with, eh? The batteries are dying. Look here, see?" Usopp pointed at the screen, highlighting a window to show the badly flickering recording inside. "It won't last more than another day. I'm only sorry I can't do more."

Usopp's voice trailed off at the end, his eyes falling a little sad and disappointed. He hadn't known these people long, and by no means was he trusting guy. There were a lot of freaks and weirdos out there – he knew more than anyone having been raised in the circus. He could tell a good guy from a bad guy though, and though they were a little strange, he wanted badly to help this struggling little family. It was rare to see such kindness and caring in this city.

Chopper moved closer to his master and friend as Usopp heaved a disappointed sigh, giving Nami a slightly reproachful look before nudging his way under the performer's hand and making a soft noise. Smiling, Usopp rubbed the reindeer's nose and then his grin was back, eyes alight with his usual mischievous look.

"Don't worry. No matter what, even if we don't catch her doing it, we'll get that orphanage closed down. I promise." Giving a rather roguish and almost uncharacteristic wink, the circus boy turned back to the computer and began typing away once again. Nami glanced at Sanji, who gave Usopp a broad smile before turning and winking himself at his girlfriend. With Usopp on their side, how could they fail?

---------

Laying in bed that night, Nami found she couldn't sleep. Tomorrow, whether they wanted to or not, they would be gathering the evidence they'd collected and taking the video footage to the police. They had already contacted their lawyer, a woman by the name of Penny Leyland, and explained the situation to her. The woman was aged around her mid fifties and had worked for Nami's family for over 15 years. Sanji was a little sceptical at first, never having needed a personal lawyer himself, and not very trusting with someone 'new' helping them get Luffy and Zoro back. Nami had quickly reassured him though, and the group had set to work on building a strong case.

Penny was quite shocked to say the least when she heard from Nami that they wanted to _adopt _Luffy. She wondered how Nami thought this would work, as the courts would surely take her age into account, and she was barely a year older than the boy. Having known Nami since she was a small child, Penny knew the girl was far from naive, and so complied with her request, anyway. The group had been disgusted when Usopp had arrived in the evening with several discs of video footage, and Nami had turned away on many occasions, tears stinging her eyes as Luffy came on-screen, only to be screamed at or beaten.

The group had continued to categorise and monitor the footage, adding detailed reports and statements Zoro had made in the past to support some of the actions. These weren't exactly strong pieces of evidence, due to the fact that Zoro was in a mental ward and that would severely diminish his word. After all, who would trust the word of a crazy man? There was also the fact that Zoro obviously had developed a bond with Nami and Sanji, which could cloud his judgement over what, was actually _best_ for him, as he would obviously want to go back to the place he _liked_. Zoro's erratic behaviour, jumping from insane to a smiling perfect patient wouldn't help either, as it only served to make him seem even more mentally unstable. Penny had stated all of this quite clearly, and sighed, as even with the odds stacked against them, Nami and Sanji insisted on continuing. Nami however, had seemed quite upset as the facts had been presented to her however, so Penny had quickly hurried away from that subject, proceeding to compile the evidence and make sure that they had everything in order for presenting their case.

Penny had been quite confident that they would win the case against the orphanage, though had told the two not to get their hopes up about adopting Luffy. Though they had displayed that they were capable carers, it was unlikely that social services would want a seventeen year old boy in the care of two people barely two years older than him. Despite that though, Penny had said that it was a possibility, no matter how small.

That thought was what was currently keeping Nami awake. What would happen if they were denied custody? What would happen to Luffy? Would he be sent away to a care home? Go back to his grandfather? After all, they would find the closest relative and send him off to him, right? Knowing Luffy, he would probably tell them he had a grandfather. Nami just hoped he also told them about what 'Gramps' did to him, so that he wouldn't end up with the sick bastard if they ever managed to track him down. Like anything, that led to a whole new mess of horrifying ideas about what would happen.

If Luffy went back there... then she didn't know what would happen. Zoro and he had become so attached... Sighing, the orange haired woman ran gentle fingers through Sanji's soft blonde hair. The chef didn't seem to have the same problem sleeping, as he was currently snoring softly against her, his head resting on her shoulder and arms wrapped around her waist, legs tangled together in a mess of limbs. Soft snores emanated from his slightly parted lips and Nami tilted her head a little, craning her neck to place a soft kiss on them. Sanji snorted quietly and Nami smiled fondly at him, rolling her eyes a little. She decides to be affectionate and he snorts in her face! Che...

"Nice, Sanji-kun." She whispered, scratching lightly at his scalp and smirking as he snuggled closer.

Sighing, Nami closed her eyes again, willing herself to sleep. This worry and stress couldn't be good for the baby, not at all. Sliding a hand over her stomach, her smile widened a little. She wondered how Luffy and Zoro would react, or if they had even seen a baby before. Zoro possibly had, being at the orphanage, but newborn babies certainly wouldn't be put in there. They'd be put with some form of nursing care, or something first. Luffy wouldn't have seen anything even remotely like a baby unless... Maybe on TV, or maybe he'd heard a baby crying? She wondered if he'd like to do the 'chores' the baby would bring.

Nami wrinkled her nose; Sanji would definitely be changing their little bundle of joy. No way was she going to handle the messy side of things. She would do the 'motherly' jobs, like feeding, rocking and bathing. Yes, that would be perfect. She had to restrain a laugh when she thought of Sanji's reaction to that, not to mention the look on Zoro's face. Sliding a hand over her mouth, she nearly broke a rib trying to not giggle from the reactions and expressions all _three _of her boys would get when the baby had moved in. Sighing, she glanced at Sanji to make sure he hadn't been awoken by her fit of 'stupidity' and settled down, feeling a little more at ease as her mind finally gave her the answer she was looking for. Everything would be fine. There were no 'ifs' just 'when's'.

With that pleasant thought swirling through her head, Nami hardly noticed as her mind slowly fogged over and she slipped into a peaceful sleep, images of their reunited family back together flashing through her dreams.

---

The week seemed to flash by like lightning. An enquiry was opened about the orphanage, and within days, several arrests had already been made. A warrant had been issued to search the premises by the second day, and the police had been horrified by what they'd seen. The previous arrests had been made quietly, so Alvida had had no clue what was coming, and had no time to prepare. The sweep had been thorough and effiecent, and to everybody's horror, they had found several children, both older and younger, in the middle of 'punishments'. Alvida was arrested on the premises, along with her staff, and Sanji and Nami had watched with a great deal of satisfaction as they were led away for questioning. Several police officers remained behind to supervise the children until a suitable replacement for Alvida could be found, but they may as well have not been there, as every child in the building simply carried on with their chores. It was a sad thing to see, and no matter how much the officers reassured the children that they did not have to do them if they didn't want to, they wouldn't listen.

The moment had come when evening had fallen and no more chores needed to be done, and it was a heart breaking sight to see so many children wandering around the building, looking quite lost. Without Alvida to order them around, they didn't know what to do. How to react. So they fell back on their old stand-bys of just ignoring everyone and doing what they knew how to do. What they knew they were not punished for... Just like Zoro.

Their dinner had been served, and at first, as the sausage, mash potato, sweetcorn, peas and gravy had been served up (provided by Sanji), the children had not known what to do. Alvida had always served them a thick sloppy porridge, with no sugar and a nasty flavour. The texture alone had made Sanji want to heave. The night passed on in an eerie, awkward silence as no child dared to speak. Even Luffy, who had been eager to see Sanji and talk to him had hushed and was walking around anxiously. It was almost impossible to watch him glancing at the blonde over and over again as if he were about to speak, but then clamped his mouth shut and turned away.

Several of the children, some as small as three years old, had been taken into the police station for questioning, before being sent back to the orphanage. The elder ones were kept a while longer as the police tried to gently coax the information out of the scared teens. Staff, by now, had been called in to take over Alvida's role in the orphanage whilst the investigation continued. Nami and Sanji had offered their assistance, but Penny had contacted them, suggesting that they rest for the trial that would inevitably follow. It had been heart breaking to leave Luffy again, and watching his wide eyes follow their car away, it had taken everything Nami had not to order Sanji to turn the car around.

They sat at home now, the TV casting a dull glow over their silent forms, settled side by side on the sofa. The sound was muted as they simply sat there, wondering what tomorrow would bring. Sanji ran his fingers slowly through Nami's hair before trailing his hand along her side, and then sliding it over her stomach. Nami sighed softly and closed her eyes. Soon they would have their boys back. All they had to do now was prove that they were capable guardians, but with Penny's help, Nami was sure they could do it. They had to...

---

The arrests had occurred on a Tuesday, the questioning had continued for four days, and the trial had been set for two weeks time. Over the last week, Penny had worked hard trying to convince social services of Sanji's and Nami's capability in handling and taking care of Zoro and Luffy. She had presented evidence in the form of diaries, reports, background history and even personal statements from both Sanji and Nami. Finally after a gruelling two day wait, the phone rang.

It was like everything had almost been thrown into slow motion. Like a horrifying part of a movie... only the call hadn't been even remotely so. It was done. Everything had gone according to plan. Like a fairy tale almost. A bizarre, twisted, and almost surreal fairy tale. Hey, maybe she would write a book about it one day? Heh. That'd be interesting. The phone had rung at six minutes past seven in the morning and both Nami and Sanji had practically stopped stock still in whatever they were doing. Nami almost had to slap herself when she saw how her hands were shaking as she reached for the phone.

Now, they were hurrying down to get Luffy that morning and Nami couldn't have been happier. Everything was going right for once! It had been like a massive weight had been lifted from both her, and Sanji's shoulders leaving them both light headed and happier than they had been since this whole crappy situation began. Both her, and Sanji jogged up the stairs, Nami reaching the door first. Opening it, she held it for Sanji, who took it from her and then gestured for her to go first, his eyes trailing subtly to her stomach. Nami missed the shift and instead hurried in.

"Thank you Sanji…" she said and then paused just in the doorway before a smile spread across her face.Sanji followed her in as she moved over towards a woman of about the same height as Nami. Dark blonde hair was tied back in a simple ponytail, and she wore a pair of wire rimmed glasses. Upon seeing them, she sighed in obvious relief.

"Ah, Miss Cocoyashi, Mr North." she said with a smile as they hurried over to her, "A pleasure to see you as always. You'll be happy to hear that all of the papers have been filled out and an officer is currently going to fetch your friend. All you need do now, is sign." and she beamed at them. Nami sighed and glanced at Sanji.

"Thank you so much for all your help, Penny." Nami whispered, her throat constricting a little with the urge to cry, but for once, not in sadness.

Penny waved a hand at her and then gestured towards a small table, inviting them to follow while she smiled. Two pieces of paper that were covered in miniscule writing were placed on the table in front of Nami and Sanji.

"This process will finalise placing Luffy in your care. You are his legal guardians." Penny explained as she offered a pen to Nami, who took it and signed her name on the base of the page before handing the pen to Sanji, who signed beside her name.

It had been a tough battle to convince the necessary people that they were in fact capable carers, but with solid backgrounds, and statements from numerous family associates, including bankers, Penny, and several of the staff at Sanji's restaurant, their plea had finally been granted. Sighing contentedly, Nami rested a hand on her stomach, gazing at Sanji.

"So, I guess we're a mummy and daddy, huh?" she whispered.

"We always were." Sanji answered back, finishing his signature and handing the pen back to the lawyer.

Ten more minutes passed as the trio anxiously awaited Luffy's arrival. He was to be delivered from the orphanage, and then evaluated by a doctor, like many of the other children. As soon as the evaluation was over, they would bring the boy to meet them. Nami couldn't help but wonder if he was ok. Was he well enough to come with them now, or would the doctor want to keep him in hospital for a while? Was he frightened or hungry? Well, she'd asked Sanji to bring along a little snack, just in case, anyway. Tapping her finger impatiently, she glanced to her blonde boyfriend, the chef shrugging back, casually.

Sanji couldn't help but smirk at how cute Nami looked when she was nervous/angry. It almost made him want to fawn over her and prance around like in the old days, but no, Nami-san wouldn't appreciate that, and he wasn't going to do anything to upset her any more than she already was. Smiling contently, he relaxed back in his chair. They'd made the first hurdle and had custody of Luffy, now all they needed was a certain moss head and their little family could be pieced back together.

Another fifteen minutes passed before finally, the door leading deeper inside the building opened, and Luffy wandered out, looking quite bewildered. To his left was the doctor that had examined him, and to his right a police officer, loosely holding onto one of his upper arms. He hadn't noticed them yet, it seemed.

"Is that a good sign?" Nami muttered to Penny, nodding her head towards the doctor, "I mean, they won't want to keep Luffy in, right?"

"I can't be too sure yet, Miss Cocoyashi," Penny replied with a small smile. "Lets see what they have to say."

Nami nodded and beamed as Luffy came closer and closer.

"Sorry to keep you waiting ma'am." The officer spoke up, smirking a little, "The doctor had a bit of a tough time examining him, as the lad kept tidying up his tools."

Luffy blinked, not quite sure if he was in trouble or not, before he spotted Nami and his fingers twitched as he itched for a hug. But… Alvida had said no hugs, so he kept himself in check. Nami didn't see it the same way. She hurried over to him and enfolded him in her arms tightly, her eyes tearing up a little bit.

"Luffy…" She sighed.

The policeman smiled and walked away leaving the little family to their reunion. Luffy leaned his head on Nami's shoulder, smiling tiredly. His arms twitched, but he made no move to put them around Nami at all. Alvida said no hugs… but she hadn't said he couldn't enjoy one.

"I'll be good from now on Nami… can we go home now?" he asked softly. Nami glanced to the doctor, who nodded slightly with a small smile before she nodded vigorously herself.

"You didn't do anything bad, Luffy." and she leaned away a little, smiling, "And yeah, we can go home."

Luffy couldn't believe it. Alvida had told him he could go home all the time, but when he'd asked 'really?', she'd said no. What… what if Nami was doing that too?

"Really?" he asked, a little brighter but still careful.

"Really, really." Nami replied, smiling.

Luffy's eyes glazed over as he thought of going home, and his arms twitched even more strongly, wanting to hug Nami back. She seemed to notice, and looked down at Luffy, concern in her eyes.

"Luffy…? You okay?" she asked.

Luffy nodded, his mouth shuddering as he tried to stop himself from crying. He was so confused! Gramps never said it's okay to cry, Nami said it was, and Alvida said she _wanted _to see him cry! Who was right? Who was he supposed to believe? Nami glanced at Sanji, who shrugged in return, moving over to them. Penny was packing up her papers, and watching them, smiling at the same time.

"Hey, come on… what's wrong?" Nami whispered, "You're okay now. You don't have to listen to Alvida anymore." This served to make the tears welling in Luffy's eyes, spill out onto his cheeks and he took a shuddering breath.

"B-but… she said… and you… but Gramps!" and he shook his head, feeling a headache coming on. He pressed a hand to his head and closed his eyes.

"Never mind what Gramps, or Alvida said. They don't control you." Nami replied in a stern tone, her eyes hard. What had Alvida done to him? He was right back to where he started from.

"Yeah…" Luffy replied softly, nodding slowly, "You do." and then he smiled and slowly hugged Nami, who was lost for words. She let out a sigh.

_This is going to take a while… _Nami thought as she held Luffy gently. Sanji bent down to Luffy.

"Hey kid, nobody controls you okay? You can make your own decisions now." he said softly. Luffy blinked, his face one of confusion before he nodded.

"Kay…" he muttered. Nami glanced at Sanji sadly, who let out a soft sigh. Luffy obviously didn't understand.

"Okay then kid, how about we get you home. You can do whatever you want then." and he smiled.

Nami noticed that Luffy's skin was becoming hot and clammy again, and his breathing was a little laboured. His excitement had worn off, and now the fatigue from the last four weeks was setting in. He was so tired. The doctor took this opportunity to make his move and cleared his throat to gain their attention.

"Good day Mr and Mrs North," he greeted, causing Sanji to blink a little.

"Um…" the blonde noised, "We're not-"

"Yes, what is it?" Nami interrupted, not wanting to waste another second in correcting the doctor over their marital status. Sanji blinked again but wisely kept quiet.

"Well, he has quite a bad case of the flu, and seems quite weak, but the pneumonia hasn't returned, so I really can't see any reason why you can't treat him at home." The doctor spoke, "Please be sure to give him plenty of fluids and watch for any rise in fever or behavioural changes. Should there be any problems, please call me on this number."

The doctor handed over a business card and Nami muttered a thank you, eyes scanning over the small piece of card as she took it before slipping it into her bag.

The doctor opened his mouth to speak again, but Luffy's soft voice beat him to it.

"Is Zoro back now?" he coughed weakly.

Nami shook her head sadly, running soft fingers through the boys hair, but smiled reassuringly. Zoro would be so happy when he got to see Luffy again. That damned fake smile would be wiped right off of his face and would be replaced with a real one.

"No, but we'll go see him tomorrow, ok? First, you have to go home and have a good sleep, and some food, and some medicine." she replied. Luffy's eyes widened a little, becoming apprehensive and more than a little anxious.

"M-medicine?" he asked, remembering that was what Alvida had called it when he'd been punished.

Why was he being punished? What had he done wrong!? Was he not supposed to ask about Zoro? No… Oh! It must have been because he hadn't finished cleaning that room! But… he'd been dragged away! He couldn't finish it if people kept taking him away from it. Nami blinked at Luffy, confused to hell as to why the boy was getting anxious about medicine.

"To make you feel better. You're still sick. Not bad medicine, nice medicine. It won't hurt you at all – it probably wont even taste very bad." she explained, but that just made Luffy even more anxious.

Alvida had said that all the time… and then it had hurt a lot. It had become clear to Luffy, after living with Zoro, Nami and Sanji, that living like he had before meeting them was not good at all! He didn't like it! He'd never realized how mean and nasty some people were, and had always thought that Gramps had been treating him right. But now… he was really starting to think that Gramps was a meanie…

Nami glanced at Sanji, silently asking for help but the blonde was watching Luffy carefully.

"You feel sick, right?" she asked.

Luffy's eyes widened and he shook his head. Alvida had always said if people ask you if you feel sick, say no. No matter if you felt sick or not. He gulped as he held back a cough, his eyes watering and Nami narrowed her own eyes in suspicion. She'd been around Zoro too long to be fooled by a trick like that, and Luffy was not nearly as good at it as Zoro.

"We can deal with this at home." Sanji interjected softly, careful to keep his tone light as he tousled Luffy's hair, "We want you all healthy for when you go to see Zoro, ne?"

Nami smiled at Luffy, who had brightened a little at the mention of seeing Zoro. The doctor nodded at them, satisfied that Luffy was in good hands, and moved back the way he had come. Nami gave Luffy one more tight hug before the trio turned to walk out, waving at Penny who was staying to review the doctors reports of her clients new 'son'.

Luffy reached out hesitantly to take Nami and Sanji's hands, walking between them. Sanji looked over Luffy's head at Nami.

"Just like a little kid…" he mouthed at her and Nami nodded, smiling. Luffy was back… and now they just needed Zoro and their little puzzle would be complete once again.

* * *

**  
Clarobell: I want chocolate… badly. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**Plushie: I don't want chocolate. Oo i don't wanna go to work tomorrow. Reviews pweash? 83 **


	28. Good Medicine

**Clarobell: Look guys, I don't know how to say this, but, DD is coming to an end. Plushie and I… not exactly on good terms right now, so, we'd rather not have to work together any more. I'm sorry about this.**

**Plushie: Yeah, what she said. Maybe one day we'll come back to this, but for now, its over.**

**Clarobell:…**

**Plushie:…**

**P & C: WAAAHAHAHA! You actually believed that?! Suckers!!!**

**Clarobell: enjoy the chapter. Next one up next week as usual XD**

**Plushie: It's amazing how stupid some people can be... of course, i'm not talking about just the readers. -raises eyebrow at clarobell- enjoy the chapter, and it's now **_**2008!!!**_ **8D**

**Clarobell: Oh, and guys? This is kind of the last chapter we have corrected. No idea when the next one will be up because as I said before, hella lota revision going on in this part of the fic. Leave reviews to inspire?**

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 28: Good Medicine**_

The car ride home was far too quiet for Nami's liking. She had thought that with the prospect of coming home, Luffy would be his usual boisterous self, chatting away and asking questions. Instead he had simply curled up on the back seat (careful to remove his shoes first) before nuzzling his head against the soft material and falling asleep. It was a little worrisome, as if you knew Luffy, you knew that he wouldn't let being ill stop him from being his usual self. It made Sanji and Nami wonder just what had happened in that orphanage.

They hadn't actually recovered a lot of footage of Luffy, as he seemed to just do his job and stay out of the way. What they had seen of him, they knew he could handle. After all the talks she had had with the boy, Nami had an idea how much physical abuse Luffy could take, and from what she had seen on the recording, the small beatings given to him were nothing. A slap round the face, a punch maybe; but then again, what she saw was just what had been caught in that room, at that time. Who knew what could have happened elsewhere? From what Zoro had said about that place, there were many underground rooms and passages. They had been mainly for the 'special kids' of course, but how were they to know if Luffy had _become _one of those 'special kids'?

The journey had continued in silence, save for an odd quiet snore from their sleeping passenger in the back. Upon arriving home, Sanji had moved around to the boot of the car and retrieved one of the large blankets there before moving to the back seat to retrieve Luffy. Wrapping the boy up snugly in the thick, fuzzy blanket, he lifted the boy into his arms, carrying him bridal style into the house.

There had been a moment of debate between Sanji and Nami as to whether they should put Luffy to bed, or keep him with them. Bed would probably be better for him, where he would be comfortable and warm, but, Nami knew better. After an ordeal like this, Luffy would need reassurance and comfort to get back on his feet. Not to mention if he woke up alone, he might think that was exactly what he was. Alone... He may not show it very much, but she could tell he was hurting inside. Quickly moving upstairs, she had snatched his duvet from his bed before moving back down to the living room where Sanji was waiting.

Settling him between them on the couch wrapped up in both the duvet and blanket, the two conversed softly. Though they knew Luffy could sleep through a lot, they didn't want to risk waking him just yet. They muttered excitedly about how Zoro's reaction would be tomorrow and what their plans would be from this point on. Mere days ago, the outlook had been as bleak as a blustery winter's day... but now, it seemed like nothing could go wrong! Of course it wouldn't. It couldn't. Not when Luffy was right here and Zoro was within their immediate reach.

By early evening, Luffy had finally awoken, but to Nami and Sanji's dismay, he appeared to be sicker than earlier. Sweating lightly and panting a little, Nami kept him cuddled up to her. Sanji had been worried about Nami getting sick and what it might do to the baby, but one harsh glare from Nami along with the words 'what about _this _baby?!' had quickly shut the chef up. After fixing the boy some warm soup packed with nutritious ingredients, Sanji had moved to sit on the couch, pulling Luffy his way so that Nami could have a little distance from him. The blonde carefully spoon-fed Luffy, the younger boy still not being very good at feeding himself with utensils, before running a hand through his hair until he was drowsy again.

To anybody outside of the family, this might have seemed very odd, with Luffy and Sanji being so close in age, but to the two 'parents', Luffy really was just a little boy. Everything from his innocent nature to his sweet actions and gestures cried out about his naivety. The giant puppy dog like eyes didn't help matters.

Nami, noting Luffy's half asleep state, had pulled out the flu medicine they had been giving Luffy before this whole incident had happened. She gazed at the bottle and then to the boy. Remembering not to mention the word 'medicine' just yet, the redhead snatched the spoon away from her boyfriend and carefully poured the right measure of the thick liquid onto it. Luffy blinked curiously at the odd purple colour of the liquid, vaguely remembering it from weeks gone past and tilted his head a little, wondering what it was for.

After one swift order for Luffy to 'open wide' the medicine was swallowed and gone, no trouble at all. Had it been Zoro, there surely would have been hell. The purple liquid alone was cause for him to (for lack of a better metaphor) run screaming like a baby, even though he didn't actually scream... or run... he just clamped up... Sighing in satisfaction (and slight relief), Nami arranged Luffy's covers a little more comfortably as he finished up his soup. The bowl was taken away and in a matter of second, the boy was sleeping soundly again, a series of chesty coughs escaping him every now and again. The two older teens watched him silently for a second before exchanging knowing glances, one fact plainly obvious.

Luffy would be too ill to go and see Zoro tomorrow.

---

They had booked an appointment to see Zoro, and though Luffy was sick, Sanji had still decided to go alone. They couldn't leave Zoro hanging after all. He had wondered on his way there whether he should let Zoro know Luffy was theirs again. He knew the boy would get excited, but would probably be disappointed that he couldn't see him today. After thinking about it for a little longer, Sanji decided to go ahead and tell him. Zoro would only continue to worry until he knew after all.

---

"Aaaahhh," Luffy muttered, his mouth wide open before closing around the thermometer. He kinda wanted to chew on it, see what it tasted like but, Nami had said not to chew, so he wouldn't! He had woken up a few minutes ago with everything feeling heavy again, but nowhere near as bad as yesterday.

"How do you feel today, Luffy?" Nami asked with a small smile. She could still see that he was slightly flushed, but he certainly looked a sight better.

"Better!" the boy chirped, smiling around the thermometer.

"Good." His red headed carer muttered a little distractedly as she pulled the thermometer away and inspected it.

"Can I go see Zoro now?" Luffy's eyes were wide, big, and imploring.

Nami blinked out of her distraction and glanced at Luffy before smiling sadly. Damn... it was hard to say no to those eyes, but she was firm on this.

"I don't think so, Luffy," she spoke quietly, "You're not very well right now."

"But I feel better, honest!" the younger boy stated, "I can even do all my chores before I go, ne?"

"No Luffy," Nami reprimanded softly, "No chores when you're sick."

"Alvida said that there was no time to be sick because I had chores to do." Luffy replied, blinking a little in confusion. "Gramps said he wanted me to do chores all the time and he left the window open while I did 'em so that I'd get sick and die."

"Luffy…" Nami whispered, leaning forward to wrap her arms around him in a hug. "You're here now, ne? No more talk about what Gramps and Alvida think because they can't tell you what to do any more."

"Oh… okay then." The dark haired boy whispered, "But, can I see Zoro today?"

Nami sighed. Luffy wasn't giving up on this one. It was kind of unusual. Normally she would say no and that would be the end of it, but right now, it didn't seem that no was an acceptable answer to Luffy.

"I tell you what," the pregnant woman smiled, leaning her elbows on the bed and her chin in her hands. "You head to the bathroom and have a nice hot shower, and I'll get ready. Maybe we can have a quick visit." So much for being firm on this.

"YAHOO!" Luffy cried, pumping a fist into the air before scrambling out of bed and towards the bathroom, not even bothering to close the door as he stripped down, jumping under the hot spray. Nami couldn't help but chuckle from her position on Luffy's bed as she heard a loud contented sigh. Obviously Luffy had missed hot showers.

Stretching a little, Nami climbed off the bed, heading to her own room to apply some make up. Luffy would most likely be a good twenty minutes in the shower, and then there was helping him choose what he wanted to wear. She knew Sanji would take a detour before heading to the hospital, as he liked to think of what he would talk to Zoro about and arrange his thoughts before he arrived there. Calculating the time it would take Luffy to get ready along with her taking the direct route to the hospital, they should arrive maybe twenty to thirty minutes after Sanji. That would be perfect.

Fifteen minutes later, a little earlier than Nami had expected, Luffy emerged from the shower, huddled in a towel, though Nami could easily make out some new marked marring his pale skin. She smiled nonetheless, leading him to his room, where all of his clothes were lined up in the wardrobe.

"So," she smirked, "What would you like to wear today?"

Luffy scanned the shelves, a concentrated look on his face before a large smile flourished across his face and he pointed, bouncing slightly in excitement.

"Those ones!!" he cried, giving Nami a toothy grin, "Please? Pretty please?"

Nami raised an eyebrow at Luffy's choice. Bright red thick fleece pyjamas. She had actually bought them for Luffy a couple of weeks ago, knowing he would love them. Smirking slightly she lifted them up.

"You realise these are pyjamas, don't you?"

Luffy blinked.

"What's wrong with them being pyjamas?"

"People don't normally wear their pyjamas outside their house." Nami supplied, her lips twitching up further. Sometimes Luffy could be so funny.

"Oh…" the boy muttered. He had really wanted to wear those pyjamas! They looked so cool! And _**red**_!

Sighing a little, Nami rolled her eyes.

"Oh, alright!" she smiled, handing over the soft pj's.

Luffy whooped and grabbed the clothes, quickly discarding his towel and slipping into them, grinning from ear to ear as he rushed over to the mirror to look himself over. Nami couldn't help but grin as she watched him. Luffy turned back to thank Nami and that's when he saw _**them**_! Padding forward, he lifted them out, and this time, Nami laughed out loud.

"You want to wear those slippers??" she asked. Luffy nodded enthusiastically. Biting her lip, Nami thought it over for a second. "Oh, alright then, but just this once, okay??"

Letting out another whoop, Luffy slipped into the furry, monster shaped bright red matching slippers and walked around the room, laughing happily.

"Now, before we go, you have to take some medicine, okay?"

Luffy deflated like a punctured balloon. Why did he have to have medicine? Had he done something wrong?? Nami noticed the change and smiled sadly. Quickly moving over to the bedside stand, she grabbed the medicine she'd given to Luffy yesterday and held it up in front of his face.

"You remember what I said about not listening to what Alvida said any more?" she asked, "This is _real_ medicine. You take a little bit each day when you're not feeling well, and it makes you feel better."

Luffy seemed to calm at Nami's words, but still looked a little apprehensive. Slowly he moved forward. He trusted Nami, and she wouldn't do anything to hurt him like Alvida had – he was _almost _sure of it. Nodding, he opened his mouth like the day before, and Nami smiled. Quickly feeding him the thick liquid, she pulled him into a light hug, petting his hair.

"Good boy, Luffy!" she praised, "Well done."

"So, we can go see Zoro now?" the younger boy asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Nami replied with a nod as she pulled back, screwing the lid back onto the medicine bottle before placing it on the side. "We can go see Zoro."

Taking Luffy's hand, the two made their way downstairs and to the car. Normally, Nami would have been embarrassed to walk beside Luffy dressed as he was, but right now, she honestly didn't mind. Grabbing up his coat as she walked by the front door, she handed it to him. It wasn't really that cold, but she wasn't taking any chances.

---

By the time Sanji had arrived and made his way to Zoro's door, he had resolved to make it up between them. Get everything all worked out. Opening the door, he opened his mouth to say hello, only to see Zoro sleeping on his bed. Smiling, he crept closer and shook the teen's shoulder gently. He was amazed at how quickly Zoro had changed over the last weeks. He was now much better with being touched and being in close proximity with people, though Sanji was sure that had nothing to do with the hospital's 'treatment'.

"Oi, moss head?" he called softly when Zoro made no move to wake up.

Well… that was weird. Usually Zoro would be wide awake as soon as he realized someone was in the room with him, but instead, he just groaned and blinked awake sleepily. He looked up at Sanji, but couldn't differ him from a nurse through his tiredness, and closed his eyes again, trying to go back to sleep again.

"No more tests…" he muttered weakly.

Ah… that's what was wrong. The constant use of sedatives was taking its toll. Nami had warned him about this. But Sanji had a backup plan.

"Well, I brought you a _chocolate bar_, but if a _chocolate bar _counts as a test, then I guess-" and he was cut off as Zoro sat straight up, wide awake and watching him. The teen's eyes were still tired, but, he was certainly more awake than what he'd been a minute ago. Laughing a little, Sanji dug into his pocket and pulled out Zoro's favourite chocolate bar. A Luffikis bar. Holding it out, the blonde waited as Zoro took it a little tentatively. He wasn't supposed to have those sorts of things in here. Neither the nurses, nor the doctors approved of the sugar. Sanji must have snuck it in.

"Thank you." Zoro said, smiling. He wasn't frightened of Sanji, even after what had happened during the 'test', but instead, he respected him even more now. Sanji shrugged.

"Well, I know how much you like to get a Luffikis." he replied, remembering the first time he'd given one to Zoro. The poor guy had tasted it, and then eaten the whole thing in one gulp... before choking on it. Zoro grinned at him and then ate the bar quickly before any of the nurses could come in and take it off of him. Sanji hopped on the bed, shuffling a little to sit beside Zoro and letting his feet dangle over the edge. It was nice to see a _real_ grin on his friends face.

"We got Luffy back." he said with a grin, but the grin was sad, "He's pretty sick, so he couldn't come today…"

Zoro swallowed the last of the bar and then nodded. He had kind of expected Luffy to still be sick. _She _wouldn't have helped him if he was the last person on Earth.

"Good." Zoro nodded, before turning curious eyes on Sanji, "Apart from being sick, is he okay?"

The green haired teen waited patiently for Sanji to find the right words. Sometimes the blonde would take a little while to respond to him because he was figuring out a simpler way to explain things to him. In the mean time, Zoro looked around for something to wipe his hands on. Chocolate was yummy, but it was messy, and he really didn't want to lick his fingers. He was concerned but, he honestly couldn't stop himself from at least looking happy. It was a creepy happy, but it served to stop the nurses from annoying him _all _the time.

"He's very confused." Sanji finally replied, "There are a lot of conflicting things going on in his head. I don't think he knows which one to believe, but his Gramps' words still seem to be in charge."

Zoro nodded in understanding, still looking for something to wipe his hands on.

"He doesn't understand what's right, ne?" he asked and Sanji nodded before smirking.

Digging into his pocket, he handed another bar to Zoro, who blinked and then grinned. He took it and then ate it as quickly as the first so the nurses wouldn't come and take it away. Gulping, he paused and eyed Sanji, who was smirking at him.

"What are these for?" he asked, almost suspiciously, blinking before narrowing his eyes at Sanji. The smirk fell from Sanji's face as he blinked right back, confused at the question.

"For you of course." he replied simply.

Zoro tilted his head slightly. At the orphanage he'd never been allowed treats, and then he had at Nami and Sanji's… and now here, he wasn't allowed (or wasn't supposed to) to have anything at all with sugar in it.

"Why?"

"I always gave you a Luffikis bar on a Friday. It's Friday today, and I missed it for a few weeks, so, you were catching up!" and he smirked as he dug into his other pocket and pulled out the last one, "Just don't get too hyper…" and he handed it to Zoro. Smiling, Zoro took it and chuckled soundlessly a little before the smile fell and he stared at the bar sadly.

"They wouldn't like it if I got hyper." he muttered before unwrapping the bar and beginning to eat it, a lot slower than the first two times. Sanji shook his head.

"You won't have to put up with it much longer. I'm taking a class on how to 'care' for you." and he rolled his eyes, "If I pass. I'm qualified to take you home." and he smiled for a moment before the smile fell and he took in a small breath. Now was the time, "Nami-san said… she told you about the baby…" All traces of a smile, fake or true, fell from Zoro's face and he turned his head away a little, gulping down the last of the bar.

"Aa…" he replied softly. Though he knew Nami didn't blame him, he still felt guilty. And... It hadn't been Nami who had said he'd killed Sanji's kid.

"It… wasn't your fault y'know. What happened- it probably would've happened anyway. She was under a lot of stress at work, and I just blamed you because, well, it was easier…" Sanji explained in a soft tone.

Zoro felt his eyes prickle slightly before he pushed it away and placed that fake smile on his face once again, trying to hide behind it and pretend that he understood everything. He wondered if he could bluff Sanji. It was worth a shot...

"I know…" he replied. Instead of fooling Sanji, the blonde reached out and cuffed Zoro around the head gently. Zoro blinked and then looked down at the bed, letting the smile fall away again.

"Stop that." Sanji cautioned, frowning a little. Zoro nodded obediently and Sanji rolled his eyes and shook his head. Sometimes Zoro was just so... Argh!

"M'sorry… I understand. Nami explained it all." he apologised, not meeting Sanji's eyes. The blonde nodded to that, watching Zoro carefully.

"But… she didn't know how I was feeling." The blonde sighed before looking at Zoro again and continuing in a firm tone, "I don't want you to fake with us. Each time you do," and he smirked, "I'll withhold a Luffikis." Zoro's eyes widened in shock as his head snapped up and then he nodded, knowing he was defeated. That fixed that problem.

"Okay…" and he paused a moment to think before mumbling, "H-how were you feeling?" He made sure he kept his head bowed, and his eyes averted. He didn't want to see the accusation in Sanji's eyes, if that's what the man was going to say. He would much rather listen to it, than see it too.

"I thought it was my fault… and I started to go like I was when you were put here… but Nami-san was already so depressed. I had to put the blame on someone else. You were the closest person. But funnily enough, I couldn't hate you at all." Sanji explained, looking up at the ceiling and smiling a little. Zoro's eyes narrowed and he looked up.

"Why?" he asked, blinking in confusion, "After that… even I would have hated me…" and he trailed off.

Before Nami had gotten sad (which Zoro now knew was the time of the loss of the baby) Sanji had been a real bastard to him. He'd still helped him through his attacks and things, but, he hadn't been nice about it. Zoro had been a chore to him. Actually... Sanji had _been_ the cause for most of his attacks. Slamming doors, and yelling at him. Sanji shrugged slightly in response to Zoro's statement.

"I don't know." he replied, smiling sadly, "I think I transferred my feelings for my unborn kid onto you. I needed a way to keep the depression at bay, and caring for you was a full time job back then."

Zoro smirked a little and then smiled, genuinely. That was why Sanji had suddenly become nice! He hadn't had any idea as to why Sanji had suddenly been asking him to do things _nicely _instead of barking orders at him. And how Sanji had begun asking him what he would like to eat, and do. Hell, Sanji had done a complete attitude turn around. He wondered what would happen when Sanji's new kid was born... Would they remain friends? The way they were now? Zoro wasn't sure. But... he was happy that Sanji was going to have the opportunity to be a father.

"And now you're going to be a real Dad. And you've already had practice." and he grinned as Sanji blushed.

"Not with a baby… ah, I think I'll be lousy… maybe I'll just stick to making the bottles eh?" and he smirked widely, "You and Luffy are on diaper duty…"

Zoro blanched.

"No way man. You're the Dad." he responded and then jerked as he realized he'd retaliated and bowed his head, smiling a little. He had something to say here. He'd been thinking about it for a while, and he didn't want to directly say anything, so he decided he would do his roundabout thing again. "You'll be a good Dad. I never really knew mine… but I think he woulda been like you." Once again, so much for that idea. He never managed to do his roundabout thing quite right, did he? Sanji blushed deep red, the colour continuing to deepen as the seconds passed. He had no idea why he was so flattered by that.

"Sh-shut up you!" Sanji finally spluttered as a return and Zoro began to laugh, covering his mouth with a hand and then laughing harder when the blonde continued to blush and huff a little grumpily, his ears glowing. Faintly in the distance, a strange noise was heard. It sounded like 'roooo' and both teens blinked at each other.

"What was that?" the green haired one asked.

Sanji blinked in confusion as the noise got louder, and louder until the door burst open. That caused Sanji to jump and nearly latch onto Zoro, while Zoro jumped twice as high and _did _latch onto Sanji, grabbing at the chef's arm and blinking as a familiar object stood in the doorway. There stood the apparently 'sick' Luffy, his cheeks flushed and his skin pale and sweaty. He was panting heavily, clad in warm looking cloth pyjamas, the bright red colour standing out in the bland room, and to complete the picture, he was wearing big, fluffy, monster shaped slippers. Nice. His eyes were sleepy, but as soon as he spotted Zoro (who's eyes widened as he saw what was coming) he dived, and tackled the older man on the bed, completely forgetting that Zoro wasn't too fond of contact.

"Zorooooooo!!" the boy cried, as he jerked Zoro away from Sanji and hugged him tightly. Sanji winced as a dull thunk was heard and then shook his head, letting out a short laugh. Zoro rubbed frantically at his sore head, having hit it on the wall when Luffy tackled him, before realizing it was Luffy hanging off him and blinked.

"Luffy?" and then he wrapped his arms around Luffy just as tightly, "You're sick! You shouldn't be here!" he said as they both tried to out-hug the other like a pair of kids who hadn't seen each other in forever. Luffy grinned as he felt Zoro hug him back. Zoro hadn't done that before! He was so happy to see Zoro, and now he was even happier that Zoro was hugging him back!! He had been a little worried at first, because Alvida said no hugs, but then when he'd seen Zoro, he just couldn't help it!! Now Zoro was hugging him back, and if Zoro was, then it _must_ be okay!

"He bugged the hell out of me… what was I supposed to do?" Nami asked as she walked in, a smirk on her face.

Luffy was pushing against Zoro so hard, that it apparently seemed like he was trying to make both he, and Zoro one with the wall as he muttered about how much he missed him, and he was sorry, and he'd never be bad again. Finally, he slumped down, panting and cheeks flushed as he sprawled across Zoro's lap. This left Zoro blinking at him. Sanji was watching all of this happening with a smirk on his face, glancing up as Nami came in.

"Hey, hey, hey… calm down! You're gonna make yourself sick again!" Zoro finally managed, concern running across his features as he looked down at the panting boy who was currently residing on his lap. Nami settled herself into her usual chair and smirked over at Zoro. 

"He had medicine. He should be alright." she explained, sending a wry look at Sanji, who returned it.

"Missed you so much…" Luffy panted softly, turning on Zoro's lap until he looked like a baby, blinking up at his makeshift chair with wide eyes, "When are you coming home?" Zoro glanced at Sanji and Nami before looking down at Luffy again, smiling genuinely.

"Soon Luf, soon." and he scruffed Luffy's hair gently, "I missed you too… you had me worried ya know!" and he scruffed Luffy's hair again before sighing.

This earned a light giggle from Luffy, the confidence and general light character he had before going to the orphanage, returning in an instant. His eyes drooped tiredly, and he yawned a little as he snaked his arms around Zoro's waist, hanging onto him for support. Zoro smiled down at him, and was ignoring the rest of the room quite basically.

Sanji was frowning a little. He was beginning to notice how dependant Luffy seemed to have become on Zoro… and it was a little worrying. Zoro sighed and smirked.

"You comfortable?" he asked sarcastically as Luffy wriggled a little bit. It was weird but, when Luffy acted like a little kid, Zoro acted (whether subconsciously or not) more like an adult. They seemed to compensate for each other. Zoro was unaffectionate, and Luffy was the epitome of affection. Luffy didn't know much, Zoro knew a fair bit (but he still had a lot to learn in his tutoring from Nami and Sanji). Nami noticed Sanji's frown, and beetled her eyebrows at him until he noticed and mouthed 'later' and then she went back to watching Luffy and Zoro again, wondering what that had been about.

"Uh huh!" Luffy replied brightly as he began to drift to sleep. He was struggling to stay awake now that all the excitement had worn off, and he was close to Zoro again. Reaching a hand up, Zoro began to run it through Luffy's hair, smiling as the boy fell into a deep sleep as he'd expected him to. Really, Zoro didn't even notice anyone was in the same room as him, intent on just sitting there and running his hand through Luffy's dark hair. It was nice. Calm. Better than the chaos that had been going on for the past month or two. Sanji smiled at Luffy.

"That kid…" he commented. That was what brought Zoro back to Earth and he realized that Sanji and Nami were still there and he blinked at them before smiling softly, still continuing to run a hand through Luffy's hair.

"He seems alright to me." he said softly. Hadn't Sanji said that this kid was all conflicting and stuff?

"He's just happy to see you, Zoro. You'll understand when you see him at home - when you come home." Sanji smirked.

Nami looked between the two and smiled, happy that everything was relaxed between them again. It had been hard watching Zoro glance at Sanji like he was about to be hit, and even harder to watch Sanji _notice _those glances. Zoro nodded.

"Yeah…"

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**Clarobell: I'm ill….-coughcoughackupalung- here Plush, hold that for me would ya?**


	29. What Do You Taste Like?

**Clarobell: MUHMUHMUHMUH 3 **

**Plushie: -giggles like a little girl then stops- what are you staring at? Read the chapter, dang it! -goes back to giggling and falls off her chair- ...ow... **

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 29: What do you taste like?**_

Sanji had passed the test. It had been as simple as that. All of the paperwork had already been completed, and Penny had taken care of the legalities. Within a matter of hours almost everything was prepared and during the wait, Luffy, Sanji and Nami had put in a good effort to clean up the house for their last family member's return. It had been a hard task, due to the distractions of Luffy and Zoro leaving, then Sanji had gotten ill, and Nami just had been too tired and miserable herself to do much more than a little cleaning here and there. No blame was given to either of them, but small comforting looks were shared as they cleaned... and then Luffy would bustle past and the moment would be broken by fond looks turned towards the boy.

Sanji had decided, with Nami's consent of course, that it would be better that he go and pick Zoro up alone. He had thought that maybe the teen might have become overwhelmed by the situation and that meant there was a chance he would panic. That was the last thing they needed right now. Luffy had given Sanji the biggest pout humanly possible, which had _almost_ melted the blonde's resolve, but to his relief, Nami had calmly explained that Zoro would be coming home alone with Sanji, or not at all. Needless to say, Luffy had quickly scooted off to do more cleaning. The fact that Zoro would have come home regardless, didn't seem to penetrate Luffy's thoughts for a second.

It had only been four days since Luffy's return, but he had been recovering quickly under Nami and Sanji's care. The two had been trying to make him understand how what his Grandfather and Alvida had done was wrong, but no matter what approach they took, Luffy just couldn't seem to understand. Nami had asked him _why_ he couldn't. Luffy had then replied that there were too many rules, and he couldn't tell whose were whose any more. Gramps didn't feed him, so Luffy had to eat his leftover, Sanji and Nami _wanted_ him to eat, but only with a knife and fork, and Alvida told him off for eating with them and threw his food on the floor to be licked up.

Time and time again, Sanji tried to make Luffy understand, but the boy just couldn't seem to distinguish which rules to follow any more. They hoped that when Zoro came back, he would be able to simplify it for Luffy. The younger boy always seemed to listen to the green haired teen after all.

Sanji left that morning around 10, leaving Nami and Luffy behind as planned. It was November 5th. Zoro had been in the institution almost three months. Hopefully, the effects the hospital had had on Zoro would fade quickly. Like Luffy and Zoro needed Nami and Sanji, the two 'adults' of the family, needed their 'kids' just as much.

Sanji had been gone nearly half an hour and currently, Luffy was whizzing around the lounge room, fluffing cushions and organizing magazines before running past Nami, who was standing in the hall. The ginger haired woman quirked an eyebrow in amusement.

"Everything's fine, Luffy. Calm down." she chuckled as Luffy flashed past. The boy stopped, bouncing from foot to foot and looking anxious.

"Is the dinner ready? Where did I put Zoro's present!?" and he began panicking until Nami rolled her eyes, amused by Luffy's anxiousness.

After seeing Zoro at the ward, he had certainly taken a big turn around. Though he was still obviously very confused, his timid behaviour and depressed attitude had transformed back into his usual light and happy tones.

"Dinner's ready. The present is in your hand." Nami said with a short roll of her eyes and a smirk. Luffy looked down and laughed as he indeed saw it there.

"I want it to be perfect for Zoro," he tried to explain.

"I know." Nami smiled back.

"When will he get here?"

"Soon."

The endless questions, though sometimes tiring, were music to Nami's ears. Luffy was obviously excited and in being so seemed to have forgotten the majority of his 'new' rules. She was about to suggest he sit down and stop his anxious pacing, when suddenly the front door clicked open. Luffy whirled around and actually jumped from foot to foot for a few seconds before spinning in a circle and then bouncing on the balls of his feet. Nami bit her lip, resisting the urge to laugh as Luffy hopped around like a hyper puppy.

The door seemed to open in slow motion before finally, the green haired teen they'd been waiting for was revealed on the other side. Zoro blinked owlishly for a few seconds, not quite believing he was back, glancing from Nami to Luffy. Finally he opened his mouth, hesitating for a couple of seconds before clearing his throat quietly and speaking.

"Sanji said to say 'I'm home'…" and he looked a little confused, "I don't know why." and he moved in as Sanji walked in behind him, sighing and shaking his head. Nami smirked at Sanji, who shrugged as if it was pointless to even try.

Nami snorted. She hadn't really known what she'd been expecting, but definitely something a little more dramatic than _that_! Then, as if she had jinxed it, with a mix between a laugh and a squeal, Luffy leapt forward, latching onto Zoro with one arm as his other held the teen's gift securely. He and Nami had bought it in town before. The redhead had taken the opportunity to buy some vitamin tablets for her three boys and drop into Sanji's restaurant. The business had been under the assistance chef's watch. His name was Patty, and though his intentions were good, Nami sometimes found him a little hard to tolerate at times.

After making sure everything was under control, introducing Luffy and assuring Patty (the stupid idiot was getting a little too ancy for her liking) that Sanji would be returning soon to oversee his business, Nami continued on her way, leading Luffy around the different shops and encouraging him to ask any questions he liked about them. It was then that Luffy had seen Zoro's 'present'. It was just perfect! There was just one problem; Luffy now understood you needed money to buy everything from shops, not just food, and he didn't have any. Timidly, he'd asked if Nami would buy it for Zoro, and had been overjoyed when she had answered with a 'yes'. It had been a while since he had heard one of those.

A large, squeaky inflatable hammer. Nami snorted and put a hand over her face, laughing into it as she took in Zoro's bewildered expression. Luffy handed it to Zoro, laughing loudly as though it were the best joke in the world. The older teen blinked down at the toy before smiling, thinking it was kinda cool as he put his suitcase down.

"Thanks, Luffy." he said, genuinely grateful and scruffed Luffy's hair before bopping him over the head with his new toy and smirking widely, though a little timidly. He almost reconsidered his decision to play when Luffy blinked in a rather shocked way and silence reigned through the room. Sanji raised an eyebrow, waiting to see what would happen. Zoro was just about to start apologizing when Luffy burst into very loud laughter, causing Zoro to jump at the noise before he realized it was just Luffy. Apparently… hitting someone over the head with a squeaky hammer was hilarious. Sanji walked over to Nami and behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and letting his hands rest on her stomach while resting his chin on her shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly, as Luffy took the hammer back and bopped Zoro again and then both of them laughed. Nami shrugged a little, watching the two with a smile, leaning into Sanji's embrace.

"Better than this morning. I hate morning sickness…" she replied and Sanji chuckled softly.

Luffy was still giggling hysterically, and then he turned and made a run for it. Zoro blinked after him before smirking, deciding to play this game. And he glanced once at Nami and Sanji, only waiting for their nod of approval before running after Luffy, squishing the hammer and making it squeak as he did so.

The dark haired boy fell over laughing at the mere sound of the hammer, laughing even louder as Zoro caught up with him and started bopping him with the hammer over and over again. This was fun, and he wasn't hurting Luffy at all! Apart from the fact that the kid couldn't breathe for laughing... but neither could Zoro, even if it was silent. One hand was clamped tightly over his mouth as he feebly hit Luffy with the hammer held tightly by the other before collapsing to the floor beside the boy, laughing so hard he couldn't breathe. He hadn't laughed this hard in all his life! Let alone in five minutes.

"Well… Zoro seems fine." Nami commented, smirking.

Sanji didn't notice, he was busy kissing her neck and nibbling slightly, his hands sliding lower on her stomach. With the boys distracted, now was a perfect opportunity to get a quick bit of private time with his precious Nami-san.

"Sanji…" Nami giggled lightly, smirking at the blonde's ministrations.

The chef, taking her positive reaction as a good sign, spun Nami around and pulled her into a deep kiss, holding her tightly. Of course, Luffy spied them through the banisters and he stopped laughing, still smiling as he watched in fascination. Zoro also stopped and looked their way, eyes widening and blushing a little. Nami and Sanji didn't really do this often, but he kind of liked it when they did, even if it made him uncomfortable, because it made them happy. The two kissing were far too distracted to notice their little audience.

Luffy's head tilted, eyebrows furrowing in curiosity as he watched the pair, blinking in shock as Sanji moved his ministrations to Nami's neck. Was he… eating her? No… he wasn't biting. So, he was sucking her neck? But… why? Breathing out in frustration at his own lack of understanding, Luffy rolled onto his front, crawling closer to the banister to get a better look.

Zoro, for his part, was looking anywhere _but_ Sanji and Nami. He didn't mind it so much when they kissed and did this sort of thing because, it was a happy thing, not like when he'd seen it at the orphanage. There it was different. He couldn't really explain it, but he could just tell. So caught up in trying not to look at the kissing pair, Zoro didn't notice Luffy gaze curiously at him.

Luffy's mind whirled with questions and yet, he could sense that now wasn't a good time to disturb Sanji and Nami. It seemed he was finally starting to understand how to react in different situations. So, people could suck on each other like lollypops then? He liked lollypops... though he'd only had a few. What was he thinking about again? Oh yeah, the whole sucking thing. Why would they want to? Did they taste good? Luffy couldn't help himself as his eyes wandered to Zoro. Did Zoro taste like apple? Maybe lime? Oh! Mint! Luffy liked mint a lot! Grinning to himself, the boy stealthily crept closer to his friend until he was right next to him.

"Ne, Zoro?" he called softly.

Zoro blinked out of his distracted stupor, focusing his gaze on Luffy. "U-Um, yeah?" He wasn't seriously going to ask what they were doing... was he? He didn't know the answer! Well... he did a little bit, but he _really _didn't want to explain it to Luffy right now...

"What do you taste like?"

To say Zoro was shocked would be an understatement. Seriously, what was up with a question like that? He didn't get a chance to answer, as when he turned to look at Luffy, he found himself suddenly tackled to the ground with Luffy chewing on his neck. Emerald eyes widened as a surge of fear swept through Zoro and with a rather unmanly shriek, he managed to buck Luffy off him, scrambling on all fours for his room, slamming the door behind him and barricading it with his own body. No, no no no no no, damn it all!

Sanji and Nami shot apart as Zoro yelled, blinking in shock. At first they had thought it had been their actions that had caused the green haired teen to run, but after a quick and confusing explanation from Luffy involving 'chewing people that taste like mint', they had quickly figured out what had happened. Zoro for his part was rather hysterical, though to everybody's surprise, it was not what they had thought it would be about. Both knew Zoro felt uncomfortable with the subject of affection, particularly between couples, and they had thought that had been the reason he was so afraid, but as it turned out, Zoro's imagination had run away with him. ... Again.

"He's gonna suck my blood, damn it!! I'm not coming out!" He returned when Sanji had knocked on the door and asked him to come out. Nami blinked quite comically, while Luffy was just plain lost at sea. No, he wasn't just lost, he was adrift with no compass, no map and an empty bag of nothing. Though he did pout slightly. Blood tasted icky...

Sanji sighed, chuckling half heartedly as he let himself slide down the wall outside Zoro's room, turning to offer a weak smirk at Nami, who was shaking her head in disbelief a small frown on her face.

"That's it, Sanji, no more scary movies for him!" She snapped, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Yes, Nami-swan." The chef smiled. He was just grateful Zoro wasn't freaking out about the sexual nature of what Luffy had done to him. Luffy for his part was completely oblivious.

"Zoro," the blonde tried again, "Luffy is _not_ a vampire!"

"But he…!"

"He was just copying Nami-san and I."

Silence followed Sanji's statement and the chef sighed quietly, realising Zoro was probably just now linking the romantic and sexual nature of Luffy's action.

"I think we need to talk about some stuff," Nami called softly, knocking lightly on Zoro's door. "You gonna come out?"

"Y-Yeah…" was the whispered reply. Some shuffling followed before finally the door opened revealing a shaky and slightly pale Zoro, gazing warily at Luffy, who merely blinked blankly back at him.

"Blood tastes icky..." Luffy stated, sticking his tongue out. Zoro paused... then took a step away from Luffy again, practically hiding behind Sanji who rolled his eyes and glanced at Nami. Something told them right now, Zoro still thought Luffy was a vampire... Though that was something more to smirk about than to worry about. Now wasn't the time for the explanation that vamps couldn't go out in day time.

"Come on you two," Nami muttered, heading for the living room and shaking her head gently, "Let me explain some things."

---

Sanji glanced from left to right, from one teenager to the other. Luffy, for a lack of better description looked utterly lost. Zoro seemed a little more than mildly disturbed. Though the green haired man had been given the 'sex talk' before, his two respective carer's had failed to mention anything about babies. At the time it hadn't really been necessary.

"So," Luffy spoke up, capturing the other occupants of the room attention, "People… kiss each other when they love each other, and that's what you and Sanji were doing?"

The question was directed at Nami and the red head nodded, smiling warmly. She hadn't been able to really explain anything other than what a parent might tell a young child. In this frame of mind, though she didn't like to under normal circumstances, it was better to treat Luffy and Zoro as if they _were _children. For Zoro it was too painful a subject, and for Luffy it was an entirely new concept. Nami had to word it just right, so that Luffy, in his enquiries now and in the future, wouldn't be upsetting his green haired friend.

"That's right." she spoke, her tone suggesting Luffy should say more. She wanted to make sure Luffy understood clearly.

"And, there's different types of kissing." Zoro stated, surprising both Nami and Sanji with the slightly disturbed, yet thoughtful look on his face. "For different people. Like, for friends, and… parents?"

"Yep," Sanji nodded, "Lovers too, like myself and Nami-san." Nami glanced at him, smirking inwardly as she saw a sort of twitch in the blonde's shoulder. So, the 'noodle' was still there, then? Even during a very serious explanation such as this... wow... She hated to think how she would have to kill him if he started that all over again. Laughing silently inside, she turned back to the others again, getting back to her previous thoughts.

"And the kiss you did, was a l-lover's kiss?" Luffy asked, smiling as Nami nodded, "Which is why I shouldn't have done it to Zoro!"

Nami smiled at the cute look of shock that adorned Luffy's face as he began to understand things. It really was a treat teaching Luffy, and he seemed so eager to learn things, to get away from being 'stupid' as his grandfather had always called him.

Blinking in realisation, Luffy turned chocolate eyes on Zoro, his shocked features once again settling into a broad smile.

"I'm sorry, Zoro!" he grinned, shuffling closer. Sanji was proud to see Zoro didn't budge away, even though the apparent twitch of 'I don't want to be close to you right now' was still running through him. Snorting, Sanji reaching up, scruffing Zoro's hair roughly. Since when could he read Zoro's twitches? Man, he needed to find a hobby! Zoro blinked a little, his awkwardness forgotten at the unexpected action (or was that affection?) from Sanji. Shaking his head, the green haired teen adopted a concentrated look.

"N-Nami…?" he called a little uncertainly, "Do… do babies always come from… having sex?"

Ah, and there it was. Nami had been expecting this. She had seen Zoro's thoughtful looks, his expression a cross between frustration and concentration as he struggled to comprehend the knowledge being put across. She had spoken slowly, making sure to give both of the boys time to absorb the information before moving on. Zoro had received a skimmed down version of this talk months before.

A _very _skimmed down version.

Last time, he'd had to fight hard not to shuffle away from them, to find a nice solitary, well lit place to hide and hardly any of the information had gotten through, due to his internal struggling. This time round he had seemed completely mesmerised as Nami had explained, drinking in every last detail of the explanation his mind could handle. She knew from the look on his face that a thousand questions were running through his mind, and she only hoped she could answer them without upsetting him. Sighing silently, she tried to choose the right words to make her boys understand.

"Well, it's really quite random." She started, clearing her throat to continue as Zoro nodded, eager for her to continue, "You see, well, you remember how I told you how the babies were made?"

Zoro nodded, a blush colouring his cheeks as he let out a few hurried mumbles, words along the lines of 'sperm', 'egg' and 'sex' among them. Sanji had quickly, but gently raised a hand over Luffy's mouth before he had interrupted. Luffy blinked back at him curiously and Sanji offered him a smile, almost laughing as he felt the boy smile back under his hand, completely unfazed at being silenced. Sanji lowered the hand and waited for Nami to continue, motioning for Luffy to listen and not speak yet. Luffy nodded, still smiling, seeming to understand the situation to a degree.

"Well, the sperm, um… they don't always make it to the egg." Nami muttered a little awkwardly. She wondered if she would be this jerky around her own son, but with Zoro's eyes, unusually wide and attentive at the moment, gazing at her with complete innocence that reminded her of just who she was talking to, she couldn't really blame herself. At the moment, they were treading on eggshells.

"So," he mused, "You don't always get pregnant after having sex…"

"No." Nami answered with a sigh, glad he had understood, "Not always."

"How long will it take the baby to grow?" Luffy asked, tilting his head slightly as his eyes fixed on Nami's stomach.

"A baby takes 9 months to grow." Sanji answered smoothly, giving Nami a little time to recover from the last explanation.

"Fwaa!" Luffy noised, eyes wide, "So long?!"

Sanji raised an eyebrow.

"You expected it to be faster?"

"Well, the weeds outside grow really fast!" Luffy mumbled, brow creasing in thought, "And baby weeds pop up every few days! I wanted to see the baby…"

Nami smiled at the cute pout adorning Luffy's features, Sanji merely raised his eyebrow higher.

"You calling my kid a weed?" he asked, his tone light as a smirk twitched at the corner of his lips.

Luffy blinked blankly as Zoro stifled his laughter behind his hands. Sanji shook his head and Nami rolled her eyes. It was _so _good to be back to normal.

"Well, weed or not, you two are going to have a little baby around the house in a few months." Nami smiled.

"Can I play with it?" Luffy asked excitedly, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Well, at first all the baby will be able to do is sleep, eat and cry." Sanji explained, looking utterly delighted. "Soon it will grow though, and then we can teach him to speak and play and walk!"

Luffy opened his mouth to reply, most likely with more questions, but Nami beat him to it.

"_Him_?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course." The blonde smirked back, eyes twinkling mischievously, "_Him_."

"And what makes you think it's a boy?" Nami asked.

"I have a feeling." The chef replied, eyeing his girlfriend's stomach. "A little boy to play with, to teach how to fight – to be pals!"

"Well _I _think it's going to be a little girl." Nami stated bluntly, "A little girl I can shop with, and gossip with – and buy pretty little dresses for!"

Sanji blanched as Nami continued to dream. As lovely as a little girl would be, Sanji was honestly afraid for it to be a girl. Like Nami, he would never be able to resist the little cutie's charm. She would drain his money dry! Laughing nervously, he shook his head. For once, he couldn't agree with his Nami-san. His thoughts were promptly interrupted yet again by Zoro's inquisitive voice.

"You don't know if it's a boy or a girl…?" he asked, tilting his head ever so slightly, eyes fixed on Nami's stomach.

"Not yet." Nami replied, smiling giddily, "We can find out in a few months, if we want to, but, I think I'd like to keep it a surprise."

Nami winked and Zoro shrugged.

"So, babies take 9 months to grow, huh?" Zoro asked, looking thoughtful again.

"That's right." Sanji replied, "Why? Something wrong?"

"No," Zoro replied with a small smile, "I'm glad!"

"Glad…?"

"Yeah!" the green haired teen stated lightly, "That means I don't have a baby, right?"

Sanji's brow knit in confusion. Zoro have a baby? Why would Zoro have a baby? Had they gone wrong in their explanation? Maybe the green haired teen was confused, but he'd seemed so focused! Sharing a confused glance with his girlfriend, Sanji turned silently back to Zoro. The teen seemed to notice their confusion and decided to elaborate.

"Well, I've been away from Alvida for more than 9 months, right?" he asked, calculating the days in his head, "And she doesn't have a baby. And she never did, so... I musn't have one." he nodded, answering his own question.

Sanji tried to keep his face neutral, not wanting to alert Zoro of the knowledge that he had accidentally just told them something he had been so adamant to keep a secret.

"R-Right…" he choked out, glancing to Nami, seeing his expression of masked horror mirrored on her face. They had always suspected something like this may have happened, but now Zoro had unwittingly and so innocently confirmed their suspicions. Thankfully, Luffy hadn't seemed to put one and one together. Obviously, if Zoro was worried about Alvida having had _his _baby, then at some point, he'd have had to have had sex with her. Obviously, it wouldn't have been by choice either... Sanji swallowed back the lump in his throat, forcing a smile and patting Zoro on the back, forcing his voice to remain steady. Now was not the time to be angry.

"Right!" he repeated, smirking a little shakily, "So, now that you two know all about babies and stuff, why don't you head up to your rooms?"

Luffy and Zoro nodded obediently, moving to do as they were told.

"Why don't you help Zoro unpack, Luffy?" Nami smiled.

"Yeah, come on, Zoro!" the youngest boy grinned, grabbing Zoro's hand and dragging him up the stairs. Zoro followed obediently, a small smile on his face, eyes scanning the familiar house he'd missed so much, only pausing to grab up his squeaky hammer before he disappeared with Luffy into his bedroom.

Sanji and Nami both released loud sighs. That… had been difficult. To think, after all their coaxing, and small intimate talks with Zoro, the teen would just let the information slip like that. And from the looks of it, he was completely unaware that he had. Both were just grateful Zoro was okay. Though he was still scarred, he seemed so much better than he had been before. He had even said Alvida's name! Sighing, they moved to the living room to discuss their plans for the future.

---

"Ne, Zoro?"

Zoro wasn't sure whether he should answer. Nami and Sanji thought they had fallen asleep, which in part was true. The two had nodded off earlier, but had woken up a little while ago. The sky was dark outside and Zoro couldn't quite determine the time. He expected it was around eight. Sighing silently, the green haired teen sat up.

"How long have you been awake, Luffy?" he whispered.

"Just a little while," the younger teen replied.

"Nn, so what did you want?"

Truth be told, Zoro was eager to get back to sleep. Luffy was settled on the bed beside him and he just wanted to enjoy being back home. He loved Luffy's company, but it would be so nice to just fall asleep in his own bed again.

"Can you show me how to kiss?"

"What?!"

The harsh whisper echoed in the otherwise silent room, and Zoro was suddenly thankful for the quickly darkening sky. That way Luffy wouldn't see the huge blush staining his face. ...He wasn't really sure why, though.

"I… ne, I just wanna know how to do it, please Zoro?"

The green head frowned a little. Kisses; he hadn't really given many himself. He couldn't remember the last time he kissed something, but he _did _know what a kiss was. How could he tell Luffy?

"Um…" the older boy sat up in bed, eyeing Luffy. It wasn't so dark that he couldn't see the boy or make out his features. "I guess… I guess you kind of… pucker your lips."

"P-Pucker?" Luffy repeated hesitantly, letting the unfamiliar word roll shakily from his tongue.

"Yeah, like those fishies… err, I mean fish, you saw at the shopping centre."

"Fishies kiss too?!" Luffy whispered back excitedly.

"I don't know, I mean, I guess they do… with fishy kisses, but—hey!" Zoro resisted the urge to pout. He didn't like being thrown off topic. Luffy laughed quietly.

"Zoro can show me, ne? I'll copy."

The green haired teen gulped a little. Did Luffy want him to kiss _him_ or just _show _him what to do in order to kiss? So confusing! Well, he'd _show_ him first. Yeah, that was a good plan. Sucking in a breath and bracing himself, Zoro clenched his eyes closed and puckered up his lips. Luffy tilted his head slightly.

"Zoro looks like he needs to go to the bathroom…"

The green haired teen almost fell over, his face relaxing as he took in what Luffy said, staring back at him blankly.

"Nami and Sanji looked really comfy when they kissed." The younger boy elaborated, "So is a friendly kiss meant to look like you just did?"

"N-Not really," Zoro sighed, "I just, I'm not really used to… kissing."

"Oh," Luffy noised, a thoughtful look crossing his face before it broke out in a grin, "We can learn together!"

"I guess," Zoro muttered, though his voice held traces of reluctance. He had come a long way, but that didn't mean the fear was gone.

"Is it like this??" Luffy asked, smooshing out his lips, but not quite puckering them, "Muhmuhmuh!"

"N-No," Zoro instructed, puckering his own lips up in demonstration, this time a little less tense. "Wike yish."

Luffy observed the action, and as expected, attempted to mimic it, this time doing so successfully.

"Yow wha?" he slurred out.

"Yow you moob your wips" Zoro garbled back, smacking his lips together and blushing slightly.

Luffy once again mimicked the action, and without warning, moved forward. With a loud, wet 'mwa', Zoro was firmly kissed on the cheek and the younger boy was grinning from ear to ear.

"Like that, ne?"

"Y-Yeah," Zoro mumbled, ducking his head to hide the obvious blush. Why did Luffy kiss _him_? What had he done to deserve it? Nothing so nice as to deserve a kiss from somebody he treasured.

Before Zoro the chance to ask, a loud snort followed by hysterical laughter interrupted both boys and Sanji and Nami came toppling through the slightly open door, the latter falling on top of the former. Both gasped for air as they cackled over their boys' antics and Zoro took that opportunity to mimic a beetroot with his deep blush as Luffy simply blinked blankly.

"Damn, that was funny!" Sanji sighed as he finally calmed, "You two should take it on the road!"

"Shut up... asshole!" Zoro huffed, resisting the urge to pout and simply crossing his arms over his chest, looking every part the grumpy little boy. That was probably one of the few times he had sworn at Sanji as well, which made it all the funnier to the blonde.

"Oh come on, Marimo! It was funny!" Sanji grinned, looking at the green haired teen from his upside down position while Nami cackled like the witch from the Wizard of Oz.

"So cute!" Nami cooed from on top of him. "You two really are _**too**_ cute."

"Why the hell are you two even here?!" Zoro suddenly exclaimed, waving his arms in exasperation. Obviously the teasing had made him a little flustered.

"We just came to check on you two, but since we're here, there is something I've been meaning to talk to you about, Zoro." Sanji spoke, sobering up as he moved into a sitting position. Nami sat beside him and dusted herself off, watching interestedly.

"Something… to talk about?" Zoro repeated, instantly calming. "Is it bad?"

"Depends on what you consider bad." Sanji answered truthfully, leaning his elbows on his knees. "Tell me, what would you say if I told you I was going back to work?"

Zoro thought it over for a second.

"At the restaurant?" he asked tentatively. Luffy moved to sit beside Nami, latching onto her in a light, wary hug, waiting to see what would happen. The two had already spoken to him about this. It didn't matter so much to him, but he would miss Sanji a lot. He was closer to Nami though, while Zoro looked (more glanced tentatively as if he really wasn't actually doing it) to Sanji for his protection.

"Yeah." Sanji replied. "Would you be okay with that?"

"You still come home every night, right?" the green haired teen asked carefully, "And cook dinner and stuff?"

"Of course."

"I don't mind then."

Sanji blinked. He was shocked, really he was. He'd expected a fuss, a whine or two, maybe even tears! But this? No. Wait... why wasn't Zoro upset? He wasn't completely sure, but he thought he could feel a bit of a pout welling up in him. He smiled a little though. He supposed it was better this way.

"So that's it? You're okay with it?" Nami asked, also quite shocked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Zoro asked back. Inwardly, he was smirking. No Sanji meant less time for Nami to 'study' with him and if he played his cards right, he might not have to read a book every day. Yes indeed, life _would_ be good.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Plushie: Hey, Claro! 3 Fishy kissies! -blinks at readers staring- wha...? Do you want kissies, too! Okay! 3 **

**Clarobell: MUHMUHMUHMUH o3o **

**Plushie: ... .. i'm gonna go now. -runs away- **


	30. Plans

**Clarobell: Well, as I said, sorry for the waits now, but we're working as hard as we can to get these chapters done to the standard your used to. Enjoy!**

**Plushie: Yeah yeah, blah blah, not interested in being perky. Have a nice read. **

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 30: Plans**_

Barely three days had passed since Zoro's return from the hospital, but even in that short time, his family could see the subtle changes in him. Nothing really substantial had happened since then, which everyone was quite thankful for. They'd had a bit too much of 'things happening' lately. Zoro for all they had worried, wasn't actually much different; a little more timid maybe, but nothing more. He slept a lot of the time, and then stayed up all hours of the night, but that was no different to how it had been before.

Luffy, thankfully, with Zoro around, seemed to be settling back down to the 'old' rules set by Sanji and Nami, and though he still got confused, his green haired friend was there again to remind him what and what not to do. Having realised just how much he had missed Zoro while he was away, Luffy was now even more attached to him than before as well. Both of them followed each other around like a pair of lost puppies. Nami had to force back the urge to squeal and run over to hug them both. Sanji would pout whenever he saw the urge in her eyes to do so. He was cute too! Why didn't she ever squeal over him! Hell, he'd roll over for a pat on the head if she asked him too! He could understand her feelings though. He too was ecstatic to have their boys back.

The group, over the last few days, had also noticed how much calmer Zoro seemed to be now though. His confidence seemed to have risen a little too. If someone slammed a door, he would go wide-eyed, or shake, but he wouldn't lose his head like he used to. Luffy was able to hug him, but not for extended periods of time and sometimes not at all. It all depended on the mood Zoro was in at the time. He was also more apt to being touched. He didn't mind so much when Luffy used him as a living pillow, and if someone brushed his arm or shoulder, he didn't flinch away. Though, if he wasn't expecting it (like any normal person) he would jump a little. It seemed that even though his time in hospital had been hard and heartbreaking, in the long run, Zoro would in fact benefit from it. Nami hadn't really thought about it before, but thinking back, Zoro really had ruled the house. Every action revolved around his reaction. Everything to cater his needs. It hadn't been intentional, but it had happened. Nami expected it was most likely what had caused the tension for Sanji that had resulted in his drinking episode (which he promised to never repeat).

Monday night came around, and Sanji had gone back to work for the day, leaving Nami to deal with Zoro and Luffy alone. The two barely made a noise (except when Luffy flitted in and out with his cleaning) and spent most of their time either in their rooms, talking, studying with Nami (much to Zoro's dismay) or watching TV together.

Zoro was seated in the lounge chair, eyes on the TV and legs curled up behind him on the couch as he leaned against the arm rest. He wasn't usually all curled up, but since the mental hospital, he still hadn't gotten back into his 'sprawling' ways. Luffy was skittering around, happy as anything as he cleaned and swept and vacuumed. This was what he loved to do. Clean! He knew how to do this and it was so easy! It was something that was common, something he knew to do as well as… breathing! Yeah! Breathing was easy too! Not to mention he could tell that Zoro wasn't in the mood to deal with his 'snuggling'. So, he stayed out of the way so as to let Zoro 'chill out', giggling to himself at the new 'chill out' words Sanji had taught him. Then, that way later on, he could snuggle with Zoro all he liked! Yeah! …If Zoro wasn't still in a bad mood.

He flitted upstairs and into his own room, running around and cleaning it until it shone. He then skittered into Zoro's room. Downstairs, Zoro's eyes narrowed as he heard the front door door open and close and he paused for a moment. His eyes returned to normal as soon as he heard Sanji's footsteps, turning back to the TV again. After taking off his shoes and coat, Sanji picked up the small bag he had brought home with him and smirked a little. This would be… interesting, to say the least.

"Oi, brats!" he lilted, smirking the whole time, "I've got a gift for you!"

Upon hearing this, Luffy dropped the shirt he was folding, and scrambled for Sanji at top speed, nearly falling over in his haste to get down the stairs before he reached the blonde and bounced from one foot to the other excitedly. He knew what they were! He hadn't before, but Nami had explained gifts to him a while ago when she bought him clothes and he'd asked what he had to do for them. She'd replied that they were 'gifts', and that meant he didn't have to do anything.

Also hearing this, Zoro blinked a little and frowned at being called 'brat', nevertheless, getting up and turning off the TV. Sticking his hands in his pockets, he yawned a little before heading out to see what was going on. Being the sort of person who enjoyed teasing others immensely, Sanji was dragging out the 'gift' from it's black plastic bag, with what must have been the most agonizing slowness. Zoro moved over but yelped and jerked away when Luffy accidentally bounced onto his foot. Him being inside, he wasn't wearing anything on his feet, and that just made it worse.

"Ow, damn it…" he muttered, frowning a little before looking back to what Sanji was pulling out.

"Oops… sorry Zoro…" Luffy apologised, blinking at the older teen in his innocent way.

Zoro grunted a little in response, not really caring. Luffy wasn't heavy and it hadn't hurt THAT much. Though, Sanji sure was taking a long time with that 'gift'. It was… annoying. From what he could see of it now, it looked like a small, white box with writing on top that he couldn't read. Wow… that sure looked interesting.

Zoro showed just how interested he was by yawning as loudly as he could, indicating that Sanji had better hurry up before he got bored and walked off again. Slanting his eyes slightly at the teen, Sanji pulled the box out and then pulled out its prize. Handing it over to Luffy, he smirked a little.

"There y'go." he said, watching in interest to see how Luffy would react. The boy just blinked blankly at it for a moment, his eyes wide but not really… _excited. _They did become so though, when he moved the toy and it uncoiled and twirled as it stretched from his hand to the floor.

"It's a spring…" he said bluntly before his eyes lit up and a wide smile spread across his face, "A COOL spring!" and he began bouncing it up and down, the bright colours flashing in the light. Sanji snorted at that comment.

"It's a slinky." he clarified, smirking as Luffy continued to bounce it up and down.

"Sliiiiiinky…" Luffy gawked in awe. He had never seen one of these! It was so COOL! And the colours, and the way it uncoiled and bounced and wriggled around was just… well, COOL! Zoro was blinking at it curiously as well, his eyes widening slightly as he watched it bounce around.

"Slinky…?" he muttered, never having heard of that before.

Luffy bounced the slinky in front of him, and as with anything new to him, Zoro jerked away from it quickly, "The hell?" Sanji laughed a little at that, one hand in his pocket as he watched. 

"It won't bite, Marimo!" he assured him, laughing a little as Zoro gave him a look that clearly said 'It might!'.

"It's cool! Look Zoro!" Luffy chirped, holding the slinky out for Zoro to take, but the older teen continued to eye it like it would suddenly jump up and latch itself around his throat. … The evil thing it was… His eyes narrowed a little at it, almost daring it to. Stupid spring… he'd kick its ass no worries. Maybe…

"Uh-uh…" Sanji noised, pulling out a second slinky and handing it to Zoro, "He has one all of his own. He has the metal one, and you can have the rainbow one, Luffy." Zoro blinked at the silver spring in his hand while Luffy grinned from ear to ear.

"Wow…" the boy noised, watching both slinkies with great interest before he returned to bobbing his rainbow one up and down over and over again.

Zoro blinked at his metal slinky in confusion for a second, wondering just what he was supposed to do with this weird thing, before he moved to pass it to his other hand… and it 'jumped' there. Though his frown stayed in place, and his face was still down, his eyes seemed to light up a little bit. Unlike Luffy, he didn't wear his emotions on his sleeve, but it wasn't hard to tell when he liked something. And right now, it looked like he liked this new toy… a lot.

Passing it back to his other hand, a very small smile lifting of his lips was seen as he leaned his back against the wall and continued to try and perfect the technique of making it slink from one hand to the other. Sanji watched the two for a while, feeling very proud of himself for making his two boys happy and left them alone with their new toys to go into the kitchen and see Nami. Moving up behind her, he leaned down and kissed her on the back of the head before standing beside her and watching as she scribbled a few things into Luffy and Zoro's diaries. They had done their studies today for the first time in months, and she was recording progress and regression. She was pretty dedicated to this sort of thing. As well as caring for these two, it was almost like a massive project that she had chosen to undertake. Smiling a little bit down at her, Sanji pulled his hands from his pockets.

"Fancy a coffee?" he asked, noticing the way her eyes drooped slightly. Even if she hadn't been tired, he still would have offered. It was the polite thing to do.

"Hmm?" Nami noised before yawning slightly, "Oh, yes please. What did you get them?" While sitting in here, she had heard Luffy chirping about something being 'cool' but not much more, as she had been more focused on the diaries in front of her. Sanji smirked slightly.

"Heh… slinkies…" He replied, shrugging slightly. Nami blinked a little, before shrugging slightly. Everyone loved slinkies, she had to admit. They were a pretty cool toy…

"…Right… Well, that should keep them entertained. Small things and all that." she smirked.

Sanji snorted softly. Outside, both Luffy and Zoro were entranced by their new slinkies. Zoro was passing his from hand to hand, having gotten a hang of how to do it and was now working on counting it to see how many times he could do it before the slinky got overzealous and jumped off the other side of his palm. Luffy was bouncing his up and down, marvelling at how the colours twirled and twisted when the slinky bounced upwards and then down again. Having started Nami's coffee, Sanji moved back out to watch the two again. He still couldn't get over how… child-like the two were. They were _teenagers_. And yet… a slinky made their eyes light up and made them _happy._

"…Why don't you push them down the stairs?" Sanji asked, blinking when two sets of eyes snapped up and widened at him. Luffy looked mildly horrified as he hugged the slinky to his chest and put a hand over it protectively.

"…Shouldn't push things down the stairs…" Zoro muttered under his breath, his eyes taking on a faraway look before he blinked back to awareness and frowned a little. Sanji almost rolled his eyes at that, but thought better of it. That's what you did with slinkies! Though he did wonder what Zoro had been thinking of then... Something else the teen had been through and hadn't disclosed yet, obviously.

"She wouldn't like that! That's so rude!" Luffy defended as he petted 'her'. Zoro was still frowning slightly, twitching a little bit like something was bothering him before he calmed down and looked back at his slinky again. He paused though when Luffy called the rainbow one 'her'.

"Her?" he frowned slightly, raising his eyebrow a little. Sanji's eyebrow arched as he blinked at the black haired teen before him.

"…Her?" he asked, stopping himself from snorting.

"Yeah… her name's… umm…" Luffy blinked a little, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried to think of a name.

"Yes?" Sanji asked, prompting Luffy to continue.

"Um…"

"Just make one up…" he advised, returning to bouncing his slinky from one hand to the other, but not bothering to count this time. His mind was on… other things.

"S-Slinki… ta?" Luffy attempted, blinking a little. Sanji had to bite his cheeks to stop from laughing before he turned to Zoro.

"And yours?" he asked, wondering if Zoro would do the same thing. He didn't think so, but then… the marimo still managed to surprise the hell out of him at times.

"Doesn't have a name." Zoro responded simply, his frown firmly in place as his eyes watched the undulating coils of the slinky in his hands. Sanji blinked a little, before looking over as Luffy looked mildly outraged. 

"That's so mean, Zoro! I bet you would want a name if you were a slinky!" Luffy frowned before he moved over and stared hard, and long at the now still, metal slinky in Zoro's hands, "How about… slink?" Sanji ALMOST burst into laughter at that, but he kept himself under control via biting his lip. Zoro blinked at his slinky before frowning slightly. That sounded so… lame!

"Meh…" he noised in response, "Link… Like the game. If it _must _have a name." Yeah, Link was a good name. Luffy's eyes brightened. That was cool!

"Oh! I'm gonna call mine Zelda then!" he grinned, nodding decisively. Sanji so desperately felt like laughing, his ribs almost breaking with the effort of holding back any noise. This was too damn funny!

"As long as it's not Navi…" Zoro muttered, frowning slightly. That little fairy-bug-thing was damn annoying. Luffy nodded seriously. He didn't like it much either. Sanji raised an eyebrow and looked at the ceiling as if to say 'what the?' and then shrugged again. Why bother even thinking about it?

"Navi's annoying..." the two said together. Blinking at this, Sanji's eyes slanted.

"Oookay. So, it's Link and Zelda, huh?" he asked, finally managing to reign in his urge to laugh. Moving forward, he snatched the slinkies away and headed for the stairs. Luffy let out a loud gasp, drowning out Zoro's softer one as the two looked annoyed at Sanji's 'stealing'.

Or, as Nami liked to call it sometimes, 'borrowing without asking or returning'. Luffy hurried after the blonde, Zoro trailing in his wake with his hands in his pockets. He'd been having fun… so why did Sanji do that? Luffy's eyes widened in horror as Sanji positioned both Link and Zelda at the top of the stairs, hands poised behind them as he gently nudged them into position.

"What are you doing?" Zoro asked, curiosity, suspicion and light anger mixing into an annoyed expression on his face. Sanji just smirked… and pushed.

"AHHH!! ZELDAAA!" Luffy cried, waving his arms around and nearly knocking Zoro out. The poor kid looked about ready to cry!

"OI!" the older teen yelled at the same time, dodging the desperately waving arms. Both paused and calmed though as the slinkies began bobbing and 'slinking' down from one stair to the next. The room silenced as Luffy, and even Zoro's eyes, lit up with wonder as the two slinkies made their slow, but steady way down the stairs. Luffy crouched at the base of the stairs, a large grin on his face as he watched. 

"That's it Zelda! You can beat Link!!" he cheered his slinky on, watching as the rainbow one moved ahead by one step. Zoro raised an eyebrow at the two slinkies before he moved to sit beside Luffy rather than crouch.

"Oi, oi… Link's better! Look…" He said, his voice way quieter than Luffy's but no less enthused. And indeed Link was better. The metal slinky had overtaken the rainbow one by at least two stairs, the coils making that interesting noise every time they folded over a stair.

"Noooo! C'mon Zeldaaaa!!" Luffy whined, bouncing his fists gently on his knees as he watched.

"Yeeeaaah… Liiiink!" Zoro added in, whining on purpose to tease Luffy. The younger teen puffed his cheeks and pouted at that. Sanji was chuckling to himself at the top of the stairs, watching the two and smiling. As much as there were moments when he just wanted to strangle them… over the last few months, it was moments like these he lived for. They both had their own habits, mannerisms, and it was something he supposed that he was just getting used to now. Pouting as the slinkies got to the bottom of the stairs, Luffy petted the coils of Zelda in his lap.

"It's ok, you'll beat him next time!" he said brightly, petting the slinky almost lovingly. No… wait… he WAS petting it lovingly. Zoro's eyes slanted a little bit as a sly smirk came to his face.

"Not likely…" he muttered, starting to bounce 'Link' from hand to hand again, eyes focused on his toy. This time, Luffy's eyes slanted.

"Will too…" he replied, before continuing to pet the coils. 

"Will not…"

"Will too…" Luffy muttered, standing up with Zoro and attempting to copy the way Link bounced from hand to hand. His tongue was caught at the corner of his lips as he tried to desperately get it to work, but nope, it just wouldn't.

"Will not…" Zoro replied, putting his down in favour of grabbing Luffy's hands and setting them up so he was doing it right before picking his own up and continuing again. Sanji jogged down the stairs, pausing at the base to watch with a large smirk on his face. Luffy grinned as he could now move the slinky from hand to hand and he glanced at Zoro, trying to put Zelda in time with Link.

"Heehee! So cool!" he chirped, loving this toy. He blinked and paused though as he realised something and turned to Sanji, "Thank you!" Zoro put his own slinky in time with Luffy's before he looked at Sanji and smiled slightly.

"Thanks…" he noised softly, his smile growing in intensity and size as he and Luffy ended up putting the slinkies in perfect synch.

"Have fun!" Sanji lilted, smirking and moving back into the kitchen to finish making Nami's coffee. He knew slinkies were the answer to everything!

---

The next morning was crisp and fresh. Sanji, having only just started up work again had decided to go at it part time, taking a few days off a week until he was settled in both home and work place again. Despite that, he was up early and making breakfast while the others were still asleep. Others, being Zoro and Nami. Luffy, of course, was up and about, cleaning the house like the whirlwind he was. Finishing up Nami's breakfast with a small flourish and a smile, the blonde turned to the doorway.

"Luffy…?" he called, hoping the kid was hanging around somewhere nearby. Without barely a second's hesitation, a black mop of hair and a pair of big eyes were poking around the kitchen doorway.

"Hm?" the boy noised, broomstick in hand. Smiling a little, Sanji picked up the plate.

"Could you take this up to Nami-san, please?" he asked. He would've taken it up there himself, but he had both the stove and oven on, so he wasn't leaving them untended. And a little trust in Luffy to be able to do the right thing would be good for him. For both of them. The younger teen lit up at this request and nodded, placing his broomstick against the wall carefully and then hurrying over to take the plate in both hands. He was about to turn away and walk out when a thought occurred to him… and he paused.

"Something wrong?" Sanji asked, blinking a little as he turned back to the stove. Luffy turned back and placed the plate on the bench before fidgeting a little, looking quite nervous.

"I… um… I wanna…" 

"You wanna ask something?" Sanji prompted, wiping his hands on a hand towel before grabbing a few cups out of the cupboard. Nodding, Luffy fidgeted some more before heaving a quick breath.

"Zoro's birthday is… in a few days, right? And… it's a surprise, right?" he asked, sounding more and more afraid the more he tried to talk, "You and Nami said that before…" Nodding, the blonde turned to Luffy and frowned slightly.

"Yeah." he replied, not quite sure where this was going. "It's on Thursday."

Luffy ducked his head and glanced to the side a little, before shaking his head dramatically.

"Nothing." Grabbing the plate, he made to head for the door but Sanji stopped him with a soft 'hey' before he could get there. Resisting the urge to flinch, he stuck on a smile and turned back to the blonde.

"… Luffy," Sanji sighed, "remember, you can tell Nami-san and I anything. We're not going to hurt you, right?"

"Yeah, I know! It's fine, really!" Luffy grinned. Seeing he wasn't getting anywhere this time around, Sanji smiled and nodded, internally twitching and wanting to tell Luffy to spill. But that wouldn't help anyone. Least of all Luffy. Waving a hand, the blonde turned away.

"Okay. Take that up to Nami-san quick, before it gets cold." he said, going back to the stove. Sometimes, he wished it was so easy as saying 'What's wrong?' and having Luffy _and _Zoro, both just come clean straight out. It would be so much simpler! Sighing a little, he closed his eyes for a second to try and relax. Getting angry, bad idea.

Luffy hurried up the stairs, creeping past Zoro's room and poking his head into Nami's to see her awake and sitting up, yawning and scratching at her head sleepily.

"Mornin', Luffy." she smiled, before nodding to say he was allowed in. Moving in with a smile, Luffy set the plate carefully down on the bed and flattened everything so it was perfect. No wrinkle escaped Luffy's spidery hands as they straightened everything until Nami took them and smiled.

"It's fine." she said, before moving to sit properly so she could eat. Luffy watched her interestedly, eyes trailing to her stomach on many occasions. He wondered just what was going on in there at that point in time. Was the baby growing already? How big was it? Nami's stomach was really small, so it couldn't have been very big.

"How does it fit?" he asked aloud, looking up to Nami. Pausing and giving Luffy a mildly confused expression, the ginger-haired woman waited for him to elaborate.

"The baby. They get big, quick, don't they? Isn't… isn't that what you said?"

"Oh!" Nami chuckled, getting it now, "Um, It does, yes. It'll grow over the nine months, but I'll grow as well." Luffy blinked in confusion. 

"But… you're gonna grow more?"

"I'll get fat." Nami replied, eyes slanted and voice dead pan. Luffy paused, before bursting into giggles that made Nami's eyes slide away from him and her lips twist before she smirked a little as well. Still giggling, Luffy managed to choke out a 'You're funny, Nami.' before he sighed and watching her happily.

"So, are you ready to be a big brother then?" she asked, smiling and over the fact that Luffy thought her getting fat was funny.

"Mhm!" the younger teen nodded furiously, before he paused a little. His eyebrows furrowed as if something had just occurred to him that he hadn't thought of before. Nami frowned in concern.

"Luffy?" she asked slowly, watching his eyes and wondering just what was going on upstairs. The boy turned back to her, his expression one of confusion.

"…Ace…" he noised. Nami blinked.

"Ace…?" she replied, now equally confused. Luffy nodded a little.

"He was…" he began before shaking his head and grinning again, "I'm gonna go and see if Zoro's up!" and away he fled, gone before the ginger-haired woman could get out another word. What had that been about? Someone Luffy had known? A relative? A big brother perhaps? Who knew, but she hoped to learn more. If it was a relative, then they either needed to get in touch with them… or keep Luffy _away_.

Zoro was indeed awake -- who could sleep through Luffy's giggling, seriously? -- and was watching the doorway when the terrorist himself bounded in.

"Hiya, Zoro!" Luffy chirped, quite happy, 'Ace' now forgotten entirely in favour of seeing his green-haired friend.

"Hey." Zoro muttered in response, still quiet after the mental ward. He was idly passing his slinky from hand to hand and he smiled a little. Grinning, Luffy looked around.

"Do you want me to clean your room later?" he asked.

"Ah, no." Zoro replied, shaking his head a little and sitting up, "It's okay. I'll do it later, ne?"

"Ah, but I wanna!"

"But-" 

"Please?" Luffy gave Zoro the biggest goo-goo eyes that anyone could muster, and the older teen sighed and smiled, nodding.

"Whatever Luffy wants…" he replied, looking up at his friend. Suddenly feeling very shy, Luffy shuffled his feet and let out a funny sounding giggle-squeak. Slapping a hand over his mouth, he stared at Zoro… who stared right back, and then with barely a flutter, Luffy bolted from the room. Or, at least he would have had he not tripped over his own feet and gone sprawling.

"… Are you okay?" Zoro asked quickly, about to get up when muffled whining reached his ears. Lifting himself from the floor, Luffy rubbed his nose and chuckled a little.

"Oops." he noised before getting up again, "Clumsy again." Zoro seemed to notice the very very slight inflection of sadness and shame in the boy's tone, and with a short tilt of his head, shook it.

"No. The carpet did it. I saw it." he said. Luffy blinked, turning back to him.

"Really?"

"Of course. It grabbed your toes and then you tripped over."

"… It grabbed my toes!?" Luffy freaked, jumping from foot to foot and then diving onto the bed beside Zoro and pulling his feet up to him. Raising an eyebrow at this, Zoro shook his head. From one extreme to the other.

"Oi! Boys! Breakfast!" Sanji's voice floated up to them, and Luffy blanched.

"Zorooooo!" he whined, "I can't walk on the carpet! It'll get me again!"

"What do you want me to do about it?" the older teen replied, blinking in confusion. It wasn't like he was going to-- 

"Carry me!" Luffy chirped. Zoro's eyes slanted and then he shook his head.

"N-no. C'mon, it won't eat you if you… hold my hand." he replied.

"Ooh!" Latching onto Zoro's hand like a leech, the two got up and headed downstairs.

The rest of the morning passed in silence pretty much. There were a few incidences which included Luffy and Zoro falling asleep on the couch… upside down. Nami took pictures and Sanji cackled, which caused Zoro to wake up and fall on his head. Which made Sanji cackle harder and Nami take more pictures.

Shortly after that, Luffy went into cat mode and chased a fly around the house like a fool. The house's other occupants had found this very amusing with Luffy hissing and growling and Nami could have sworn at one point she saw Luffy's hair rise up a little in his frustration at the elusive fly. Zoro had steered clear of Luffy's little rampage, sticking close to the walls and then close to Nami as the dark haired boy almost tipped the sofa by jumping on the back of it. Sanji moved forward to try and calm the fly-crazed boy, but before he had the chance, the ever so elusive fly made a dash for the open bathroom window… and Luffy followed straight after it, toppling out of said window. Sanji, Nami and Zoro nearly lost their hair when that happened, even though it was a small drop. Luffy had just laughed, assuring them he was fine. Then both the boys went for a nap upstairs, Zoro lightly scratching Luffy's scalp as the boy softly started to purr beside him, causing the green haired teen to chuckle and leaving Nami and Sanji alone to watch TV and relax for a few hours. It really was like having kids.

"Is this what raising our own kid is gonna be like?" Sanji asked, head tilted back over the back of the couch. Nami smirked a little.

"Somehow, I think it may just be a tad easier." she replied. Sanji hummed in response, smirking very slightly before his smirk fell.

"Nami-san…" he began, pausing a little. He didn't want to say this the wrong way and offend her, or in such a way that it made their 'boys' seem like the bad guys here, so he paused to think for a second. Looking over at him, Nami blinked a little.

"Yeah?" she asked, eyebrows furrowing. Sanji glanced at her, and then let his head fall forward so he could look at her directly.

"This… this time around, with the baby and everything. I think, maybe you should have some time away from Zoro and Luffy now and again. Maybe we could go out once a week or something? Just as a break." he said, watching her with concern in his face. Nami didn't know whether to smile, or sigh. He was right, of course. She already knew that.

"I know… Who's gonna look after them, though? I mean, Luffy's pretty easy to get along with, most times. But if we get someone to watch them who doesn't know…" she chewed on her lip for a second, dropping her voice another octave, "We need someone who they both trust and won't hurt." 

"I know, I've been thinking about that. We could get sued if we just picked anybody, not that we _would._ But, I was thinking… Maybe Usopp could come and watch them? But not as a babysitter, just as like… a sleepover?" Sanji suggested. Nami was silent for a long time as she mulled it over, trying to think of how this would all work. She really did need the break. Just like Sanji, she was scared of losing the baby again… The first time it had been such a dark point in her life.

She'd wanted to throw herself away, let herself die. Just not exist anymore. She remembered the look in Sanji's eyes when she'd been sick all those months ago. How concerned, even horrified, he'd been. At the time, she'd thought he was horrified at her, not with her. Thought he was ashamed, hated her even. Now, she realised that he was horrified that she'd wanted to die herself. That he'd seen the self-loathing in her eyes, the misery inside her. She glanced up at Sanji, who was watching her with eyebrows beetled and lips pursed. How could she say no? Smiling, she nodded.

"I think that's a good idea. They're both settling down nicely and Zoro's a lot calmer and quieter since the ward. Not by his own doing, but it's… a partial relief." Nami nodded again, still smiling. Sanji relaxed slightly, his lips going back to their usual place and his eyebrows smoothing out again.

"Yeah. I had another idea. We've gotta get ready for Zoro's birthday, ne? Maybe we could test Usopp out for the day? Have him come over tomorrow or something if he can, and see if he can handle them while we get stuff ready?" the blonde suggested. He had faith in Usopp, but faith didn't mean anything against the fact that Zoro could seriously injure the long nose if he was thrown into the chaos of a dangerous panic attack. And Luffy's freak outs about things he didn't know weren't exactly easy to deal with either. He was hard to calm down, and almost impossible to find if he decided to hide.

"Sanji-kun is so smart, tonight!" Nami chirped, reaching a hand up to his head and smirking widely as she scratched at his scalp. Grinning for a second, Sanji chuckled.

"It's hard to let them grow up, but we have to sometime, Nami-swaaan!" the blonde reprimanded. Yep, boundary overstepped. Nami raised a delicate eyebrow at her boyfriend.

"Oh? This coming from the guy who brought them home slinkies, last night." she replied wryly. Sanji blinked. Well… He hadn't seen that coming.

"I…! That was…!" he began, spluttering as he tried to find an excuse for his actions and then he simply grinned goofily, staring at his girlfriend with utter adoration, "Nami-swan is so beautiful when she puts me in my place." 

"Ah, I know." Nami replied, smiling quite happily and proudly. Whoever said women were the weaker sex, was a moron.

**Clarobell: Well, what did you think? A nice fluffy humorous chapter to lighten up all that big mean ol' angst! Reviews pleash? –offers slinkies as rewards-**

Plushie: SLINKY! D


	31. Of Laughter and Pirates

**Clarobell:B Hello! -is pelted by rotten tomatoes- sorry ;w;**

**Plushie: .. Can I sleep now? **

--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 31: Of Laughter and Pirates**_

The nap wasn't exactly going as planned. Strangely, Luffy had woken up only to find Zoro had actually fallen asleep beside him, one hand still loosely resting in the boy's hair and head drooped forward from his position against the wall. After watching his friend for a little while, he had ventured to find his new pet, Zelda, and had begun quietly slinking it from hand to hand, trying to copy the movements that Zoro had been doing when they'd first gotten their gifts.

The colour and soft coiling of the slinky was almost hypnotic as Luffy watched it go back and forth. Slowly, his eyes drooped and vaguely, he felt Zoro twitch and wake up beside him. Blinking a little blearily for a second, the older teen covered his mouth as he yawned and then turned his eyes to Luffy, looking quite dopey at the moment. Turning to his friend, Luffy smiled.

"Did I wake you up?" he asked, before pouting as the distraction caused the slinky to go off course and fall off the edge of the bed. Shaking his head, Zoro quickly moved forward and reached down, picking it up and handing it back to him. Luffy watched him, and noted the mood he was in. His internal 'Zoro meter' had just dinged over to 'Not happy'. Rolling so he was on his stomach, he watched Zoro silently.

"A nightmare?" he asked, voice soft. Giving the boy a sideways glance, Zoro turned to look out the window at the sun which was getting low in the sky, the horizon tinting orange that was flecked with purple along with gold edged clouds.

"Hnn…" he noised, eyes narrowing gently at it. Sunsets were nice... He could remember in the orphanage, sometimes he had had enough time to stop and just watch the sun go down through a barred window, before resuming whatever work he had been doing at the time. Luffy noted the look, and glanced to the side as well, watching the sunset.

He'd seen that once before, but he didn't know what it had been at the time. From the apartment window, he could always see the sun rise, but it was rare that he enjoyed the privilege of watching it set. Sighing softly, he enjoyed the sight in a rare silence between the two before turning to gaze back at his friend. For now, he needed to get Zoro to _not _think about the bad dream, whatever it may have been.

"I don't sleep as much as I used to. That Alvida lady made me stay up all the time and I got used to being awake…" he said, looking down at the slinky and fiddling with it, running his fingers around the warm, ribbed plastic as he traced the colourful patterns. Zoro frowned at the mention of _her _name and his eyes darted sharply to the wall, lip lifting in a small sneer before it evaporated and he fell sad again.

"M'sorry…" he muttered. Luffy blinked.

"What for?" he asked, eyebrows furrowing. What had he done wrong?

"S'my fault you went there…" Zoro continued, closing his eyes and drawing his knees up onto the bed, laying an arm across his knees.

"No it's not. That doctor guy took me there. Not Zoro." the younger teen replied, shrugging quietly.

The sneer from before twisted into a snarl, as Zoro's eyes narrowed and his teeth ground at the mention of Leith. The son of a bitch who had put him in the orphanage in the first place, who had put _Luffy _there. He was just grateful that Nami and Sanji had been there to get Luffy out before _she'd _had the chance to be a real bitch to him.

"He's just a stupid bastard." Luffy growled, sitting up a little and frowning. Zoro blinked, a little shocked at Luffy's language (no doubt picked up from Alvida, or possibly even Sanji), but soon relaxed a little with the statement, nodding.

"Mm." he noised in return.

"Was it scary in the place where you went?" Luffy asked quietly, interested in what had happened to Zoro while they had been apart. Maybe if he knew, then it wouldn't feel so bad when he thought about those months when he hadn't been able to get to his friend; when they'd been too far away from each other to offer the support and simple comforting presence that they'd both gotten so used to.

"Hm… it was dark…" Zoro replied softly, that answer giving the younger boy a confirmation of his question, "Too many people…" Shaking his head a little, Zoro turned to Luffy again. The younger boy smiled reassuringly.

"I wasn't really scared in the place I went. That lady was loud and mean, but it reminded me of G-Gramps. I… don't want to go back to Gramps any more…" His eyes had fallen, while the smile remained, giving him an overall, sad look that made Zoro sigh softly.

He was relieved that Luffy didn't want to go back to Gramps, and despite him saying he wasn't scared, the simple statement about being reminded of Gramps was enough to tell the older teen that Luffy was lying. Shaking his head a little, Zoro frowned.

"Al… Alv…" sighing heavily as his attempt at saying her name failed, the older teen closed his eyes and changed tact, "SHE _and _HE, are both bad…" Luffy's eyes narrowed gently and he folded his arms under his chin, leaning on them and watching his friend's face.

"Are you scared of her, Zoro? She did bad things to you, ne?" he said quietly, the questions more statements. Luffy's eyes fell even more as Zoro remained silent, turning his face away slowly until it was hidden in shadow.

He wasn't actually sure if he was scared, or if he hated her too much to be able to say her name. He was scared… but that wasn't the whole story… Luffy hesitantly sat up, and reached a hand out to Zoro's, forgoing the initial and usual twitch and gently taking it with a small smile.

"It's okay… I'll just kick her ass if she tries anything again!" the boy grinned, holding a fist up as if to prove his point. Being back with Zoro, he felt so much stronger… so much braver. Zoro paused and looked down at Luffy, before smiling a little and nodding. He could really get used to this confidence Luffy was showing. It made him feel safer.

"… It's good to be back again…" he said quietly, and his smile grew a little when his friend nodded in agreement.

"Yeah." Luffy smiled, "I like it best here."

---

Barely a few minutes after their little conversation, Nami had called them down for 'study time'. Unfortunately for the 'parents', the 'kids' weren't exactly up to speed that afternoon. Luffy was tired and blah from not having a nap, so had been given to Nami, who had volunteered to read something to him. Sanji was teaching Zoro maths, which the teen liked exceptionally well, avoiding the 'reading' and literature side of teaching for as long as he could.

Once Sanji had mentioned something off track and also off hand to try and explain to Zoro how equations worked, the green haired teen questioned him about that instead. Having answered these questions, Sanji had been thrown from what he was originally trying to teach Zoro, and therefore, the teen had won. The bastard was getting damn good at distracting him away from what he was originally trying to say. He remembered one of the first times Zoro had done this. Really though, he should have realized the green haired teen didn't really want to know what flavour pie the pie chart was and how to make it. Using the chef's weakness (that being cooking), really was below the belt. Still, Sanji just rolled his eyes and got on with it.

Luffy was living it up good, head resting in Nami's lap and blanket over him as he listened to her read a book about someone who had decided to go on a journey to the centre of the earth. He really wasn't sure, but it sounded interesting, so he stayed quiet, quite content to be allowed to just lay and listen. Occasionally, he sent small glances Zoro's way to see if the older teen was doing anything out of the normal, but all Zoro was doing was trying (and failing this time) to get Sanji off the subject of English and onto the subject of how birds could fly.

Smiling a little at the disgruntled look on his friend's face, Luffy sighed and snuggled up to Nami a little more. This was nice… How could he have ever wanted to go back to Gramps when he had such a nice life here now? He had friends, he was learning new things, and had the opportunity to go outside whenever he wished. It was great! There was a sudden and mildly annoyed sigh of 'Zoro' from the blonde chef, and Nami stopped reading to look up. Zoro was blinking a little, before frowning slightly.

"I don't want to…" he muttered, eyes downcast towards the floor. Nami eyed the two, glanced at her watch and then sighed a little.

"Zoro, you have to keep trying." Sanji frowned, glancing at Nami. This whole thing with letting the two kids get away with almost everything was just a little too lenient at the moment. Particularly when it came to the basics of life, such as Luffy learning how to bathe and dress himself and Zoro learning to read and write. Zoro frowned harder, glaring at the floor.

"It's okay. He can read later." she said, "He's done an hour's worth of study, and he can read something before he goes to bed." Sanji had seen that coming, and sighing a little, he nodded.

"Fine." he noised before standing. He was getting tense again… Luffy wasn't learning, just listening, and Zoro was getting away with this again. Giving them a smile so it didn't look like he was leaving in a bad mood, he turned and headed out to the orange groves.

Time for a cigarette…

Nami watched him go, knowing he couldn't have one due to her getting rid of them all, _and _having a chef spy on the blonde at work. Her plan was flawless. Sighing in slight relief, Zoro glanced over at Luffy and then leaned so he could peer down at him.

"Comfy?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Luffy tilted his head a little.

"Not as comfy as when I lie on Zoro…" he replied, the hint not even hidden. Nami smirked a little.

"I think that was a hint, Zoro." She said. Zoro smiled a little.

"Oh, I know it was. I just chose to ignore it…" he replied, giving Luffy that almost sarcastically sweet smile. It seemed Zoro was unconsciously picking up on Nami's gestures. Luffy couldn't say he was happy about I though. Forming his lips into a pout that was almost the biggest one Zoro had yet to see, Luffy huffed a little.

"Zoro's mean." The boy whined before turning his gaze to the door Sanji had left through. Nami noticed the look, frowning in thought.

"Luffy?" She called softly, "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

The boy fidgeted in her lap for a second before turning big eyes her way.

"I saw Sanji hiding those smokey things out there two days ago," he confessed, still pouting slightly. Nami blinked a little, and then her eyes narrowed.

"Oh? Is that so? Hmm…" Nudging Luffy gently off her lap, she moved out to the groves to see if this was true. Sanji's back was to her, and he was moving, and he was holding something… oh yeah, know what else? He was absolutely, one hundred percent unaware of his fate.

Luffy pouted at the loss of his pillow and gave Zoro the BIG kitten eyes that he knew the older teen just could _not _resist. Not at all. Sighing heavily and in defeat, the older boy moved around and sat down on the couch, slumping a little to allow the kid to use his stomach as a pillow.

Nami's eyes flashed, before she moved over to her _oh so beloved _boyfriend, and placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning down next to his ear on the other side as she did so.

"You're not gonna smoke that… are you, Sanji-kun?" she asked, her face dark and a cruel smirk on her lips. The poor chef nearly died of fright as he let out a high pitched, completely girly scream that Nami herself wasn't sure she could even do.

"O-O-Of course not, N-Nami-san!" he cried as he whirled around, nervous smile on his face and heart beating ten times what it should usually.

"Didn't think so. Now back in the house." Nami ordered, snatching up the packet of cigarettes and pointing towards the back door. Sanji slumped like a kicked puppy and got to his feet.

"Yes, Nami-san…" the tone in his voice was like a child who had just been told off by their mother. Nami had to fight hard not to laugh.

The two boys inside, not having expected the scream, nearly leapt into each other's arms. Blinking towards the doorway, Zoro was the first to relax, surprisingly.

"Ah, just Sanji's girly scream." he shrugged.

Luffy blinked before looking back up to Zoro again. Lately, he'd been also wondering what it would be like to hear the older teen laugh. Just once he wanted to hear that sound. He was sure it would be a nice sound, how could it not be? It was Zoro. Nami and Sanji had done something to him once… and it had made him laugh… so what if he tried it on Zoro? Would it work? Had they tried it with him? Oh well, here went nothing.

Raising his hands when the older man wasn't looking, Luffy dived his fingers forward and began tickling him mercilessly. Zoro's eyes shot open to the size of dinner plates, and he would have began panicking… if it hadn't been for that overly undeniable urge to laugh. Snorting as he felt himself twitch away from those light fingers, Zoro slapped both hands over his mouth to hide the sound he knew was coming. Continuing his merciless attack, Luffy began smirking quite evilly, which had never happened before. He knew that Zoro couldn't hold his laughter in, and try to stop him at the same time. It just wasn't possible, unless you were an octopus.

… Was Zoro an octopus?

Muffled 'S-Stop!'s' could be heard from under those hands as Zoro jerked and writhed, sliding off the couch and onto the floor, Luffy following him and continuing to tickle. His chest and body was heaving from the effort of trying to not laugh, and from the fact that he couldn't breathe, but he couldn't stop laughing! Pulling one hand to swipe at Luffy, he bit the other to keep himself silent. Wriggling out of the way of the batting hand, Luffy giggled a little himself as he grabbed it and held it. Just once… he wanted to hear Zoro _really _laugh.

Never had he heard that sound come from his friend, and even he knew it was a happy sound when someone, anyone, laughed. Zoro couldn't breathe. He couldn't take this anymore, it was too much! Releasing the hand he'd been biting, he grabbed at Luffy's wrist to try and stop him, at the same time releasing the sound that the kid had been trying to get. He burst into outright laughter, tears running down his cheeks and eyes clenched closed as he tried to weakly shove Luffy away. Bursting into laughter himself as Zoro finally let himself go, Luffy could barely keep up the tickling.

The 'victim' of this act couldn't stop himself, gasping for breath but continuing to laugh as loudly as he could. Sanji and Nami had stopped to watch, blinking in shock at what was taking place before them. It was undeniable that they were ecstatic to see this as they grinned at each other and then back at the pair on the floor as Luffy finally couldn't keep his tickling up any longer, and collapsed to the carpet beside Zoro to just laugh. Not ever, had Nami, Sanji, even Zoro himself, heard the green haired teen laugh like that. It just… wasn't done.

It didn't happen, full stop. But in the space of a minute, it was over. Zoro had shot straight up and clamped a hand over his mouth again, staring at the carpet in front of him like he had just been told the world was ending. Luffy blinked curiously, the laughter dying on his lips as he sat slowly up beside his friend and peered at him in concern.

"Silly Zoro… your laugh is much too cute to hide." the dark haired boy said, reaching out a hand but it was quickly retracted as the older teen flinched and his eyes snapped to the side, watching Luffy from the corner of them. He'd just broken one of the biggest rules… ever. Despite the sombre mood that was now overtaking the room, Sanji couldn't help but cackle wickedly at Zoro being called 'cute'. Nami watched the two silently, before smiling a little and nudging Sanji from the room. She knew things between Zoro and Luffy should be kept there. They had no right to sort out any arguments the two may have.

"Zoro? It's ok… we're not gonna hurt you for laughing." Luffy assured him, smiling a little. Zoro glanced at him again, before very slowly, he unclamped his hand. Letting it fall to his lap again, the older teen bowed his head so his eyes were shadowed, and his lips were white and trembling. Luffy's smile fell a little as he remembered the punishment at the orphanage for laughter. Even smiling was rewarded with a decent beating.

Why was happiness so forbidden? One thing about Gramps, as long as Luffy didn't laugh at, or with him, then laughing was okay unless he was _supposed_ to be silent. Smiling was a natural thing for Luffy to do as well, and once again, as long as he kept it to himself, it wasn't punished and he'd learnt to keep out of Gramps' way pretty well.

At the orphanage, the children were supervised twenty-four/seven, so they never got a moment to themselves to do… well… anything, really. He reached a hand out more surely this time, and lay it on his friend's shoulder, ignoring the automatic flinch.

"It's allowed here, ne? Nobody who wants to hurt you, saw you." the boy said, gently clenching his hand, before dropping it back to his lap again with a large smile. Zoro's increase in breathing paused, before slowly it began to return to normal until he was breathing deeply and more relaxed again.

"You… shouldn't make me laugh, Luffy…" he said quietly, eyes dark as he stared at the carpet. Luffy blinked, before tilting his head a little and then smiling serenely.

"Why? I like Zoro's laugh." he replied.

"Doesn't matter if you do, or not." Zoro replied, head still bowed, "I don't… That sort of noise is… forbidden…" It was difficult for him to let go of those rules, having clung to them as guidelines to not being hurt, for so long. Rules were things that led him easily to knowing what was right and wrong, and breaking them just wasn't done.

What if he accidentally did something that defied a rule and it ended in something completely disastrous? Like with Nami and Sanji. He'd broken the rules and ran away, and then Luffy had gotten sick… and then had been taken to the orphanage. So even here, those rules still held much sway over the green haired teen's mind. It was the only way he knew what he was doing, was not going to hurt anybody.

"I'm sorry…" Luffy said quietly, and slowly Zoro raised his head, turning to his friend with a rather emotionless face.

"Don't worry about it." he sighed before nodding a little, "Laughter, being happy, stuff like that… wasn't accepted in the orphanage, y'know?" Luffy couldn't help but notice the definite drop in his friend's voice, and he felt… odd, as he realised that Alvida had hurt Zoro… badly. He felt like… cold fire was burning through his stomach, and his veins. It wasn't an overly strong feeling, and it was one that he was easily able to deny and throw to the back of his head… but he had never felt anything like it.

"I know…" he replied instead, his voice perfectly serious and a definite change to what it usually was. He turned to the lounge room windows, staring out at the now dark sky where only the brightest stars had begun to shine. Zoro didn't know what to say, but now he knew that Luffy had gotten the punishment. How could the kid have not? All he ever did was laugh and smile!

Bowing his head again, he stared at his fingers which had begun to gently shake at the thought of Luffy being punished. It… shouldn't be punished. _Luffy _shouldn't be punished. He didn't deserve it.

"No food, and no bed, ne? They're pretty mean too…" the boy continued, turning back to Zoro with a small, serious frown. He didn't like to mention beatings around Zoro anymore. Not after the things he'd heard from Alvida. She'd done horrible things that Luffy hadn't wanted to understand, but had…

"Yeah… no chairs, no blankets…" Zoro recited, knowing this punishment off by heart.

"Only a quarter a glass of water every two days…" they said in time, Luffy with a small, wistful smile on his face while Zoro's head looked like it was slowly being dragged down by a weight as it bowed further and further towards the floor.

"And…" the older teen began, but didn't continue, his voice barely above a whisper. Luffy waited for Zoro to continue, the smile fading into sadness when he didn't.

"And then the mean lady takes Zoro away to her room, to do the extra mean stuff that none of the others get…" he whispered. Zoro's eyes flashed with realization. Luffy knew… How…? Had he…? No, that wasn't possible. He'd said 'Zoro' not 'us' or 'them'. Just 'Zoro'. Slowly, his eyes closed before his shoulders relaxed so he was slumped forward, heaving soft, but uneven breaths as he tried to stay calm. Luffy was staring out the window, eyes narrowing gently as that cold fire returned, this time stronger.

"If I ever see her again… I'm gonna kick her ass, Zoro!" he growled, making the other teen jump a little, before he nodded slowly. He had faith Luffy would… but he also had regrets, and wasn't eager to meet eyes that knew something about him, that he hadn't told. Maybe it would be okay… but if Luffy opened his mouth and blabbed to Nami and Sanji, he… didn't know if he'd be able to handle that. It'd be like being under control again. They knew things about him, but most of the information was things he had told them during their many small talks.

Luffy smiled a little wistfully again as Zoro didn't reply, and moved out to leave him be for a few minutes. After joining Sanji and Nami in the kitchen, he quickly learned of something called 'Mousse', which tasted like pure heaven and delight, and nearly made Luffy pass out when he was allowed to lick the spoon Sanji handed him. Then, they told him about something called 'peettssaa'. He wasn't sure what that was, but if it involved mousse, he was damn sure he was gonna have some.

If… Sanji said it was alright, of course. Excited about these new discoveries and thrilled that he was going to be eating something new and different once again, he bolted back to grab Zoro's hand and tug him to his feet.

"Zoro! Zoro, Zoro! Sanji said we're having peeettsssaaa! Doesn't that sound cool?" he chirped, eyes bright, happy and wide while his mouth was spread in a grin so wide that Zoro had to return at least a small smile.

"What?" he asked, blinking a little at this sudden change.

"Peeetttssaaa! You put ham, pineapple, mushroom on it! Oh, but not mousse. And it has a dough base!" he nodded, tapping his chin for a second, looking a little put out before he shrugged. Zoro's smirk grew a little wider.

"I know what it is, it's just… odd, the way you say it." he replied, before grinning a little at the boy before him. Luffy blinked, before returning the grin ten-fold.

"Really? Oh well!" he cried, before starting to tug Zoro for the kitchen again. It hadn't been a rollercoaster day, and by himself, Luffy had helped Zoro a little. The kid didn't know it, and Zoro felt like… he'd been freed, just a little bit.

Able to express himself a little more without the constant fear that something bad was going to happen. As long as he had Luffy there, and they continued to grow and help each other, life would be… awesome.

---

The next morning, the darker side to the incident which had taken place the previous afternoon, had been forgotten in place of quickly growing excitement. One that Luffy was doing an abysmal job of hiding, and Zoro was doing a little better, but still pathetic job at hiding. Today, was the day that they were going to be left _alone_, with Usopp AND… wait for it… Chopper!

The two would be 'babysitting' for Sanji and nami to give the two teens a break and keep Nami's stress levels down. They had arranged for this to happen at least twice a month, and Usopp had volunteered his services as 'child minder'.

Sanji was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, leaning against the door frame in a smart suit while Nami was upstairs still getting the last of her makeup on. Zoro was seated on the bottom step, legs stretched out as he leaned back slightly, one foot occasionally twitching a little as if he were impatient but trying to hide that too.

Luffy was twitching like a chicken on drugs as he sat on the floor near the wall, and if Sanji hadn't known better, he'd have thought the kid had eaten one too many sugary treats. The doorbell rang, and it was like a rubber band reaching its breaking point and finally snapping as Luffy leapt to his feet.

"IIIIII'll get it!" he cried in a sing-song voice, making Zoro raise an eyebrow and look at Sanji, who offered him a 'Don't look at me.' shrug in return. Nami came down, ruffling Zoro's hair absently as she moved to stand beside Sanji and wait for the kid to get the door. Opening it, Luffy stepped back and blinked. There was… no one there.

"YARRRRRRRR!" Usopp cried, suddenly jumping into the doorway with a fake, rubber sword in his hand and an eyepatch over his right eye. Luffy screamed like a five year old girl as he shot backwards and behind Zoro, who had jumped to his feet, eyes wide. Both Nami and Sanji had also jumped a foot in the air, not expecting Usopp's 'Yar.' or Luffy's 'EEEE!'. Zoro then attempted to dodge behind Luffy, who let out a long whining sob and then dropped down onto all fours, scrambled between Zoro's legs and began darting up the stairs.

Zoro was left to blink quite comically, not sure what to do about this situation. He knew Usopp… that wasn't Usopp. The 'fake' in the doorway, made to step forward but at that small motion, Zoro had turned and bolted up the stairs after Luffy, getting to his room first and ducking into it, grabbing Luffy and pulling him in, and then closing the door almost silently. Sanji, Nami and Usopp all blinked at the now abandoned stairs, and then looked at one another in a mildly confused fashion.

"Well… that went… well…" Nami attempted to break the silence, blinking a little. Chopper walked in at that time, clad in his little pink-purple shorts with his fluffy pink hat on his head. He made sure his hooves were clean by scraping them on the mat outside, and then walked in and bowed his head politely to Nami and Sanji… before smacking his head into the back of Usopp's leg and glaring at him.

Chopper's instincts were that of an animal, and animals sensed who they liked by their hearts. Especially one as smart as Chopper, who had come to learn that not all people had charming, lovely hearts in a rather cruel way. Abandonment outside a certain circus, where he had been living for most of his young life. Now he was an adult though, and he was much wiser… but he was still a young one at heart, and with Usopp around, who wouldn't be? Especially living in a place as amazing as a circus. The little reindeer could sense that Luffy and Zoro were good people, but were scarred. Damaged, if you would. And Usopp scaring them made Chopper a little... miffed, to say the least.

"Idiot." Sanji noised at the long nose, turning eyes that said 'Do that again, and I'll kick your ass into next Friday.' on him. Usopp quailed slightly, not sure what to make of that.

"I'll go get them." Nami sighed, heading up the stairs again. Blinking a little, the circus performer held out the costumes he'd brought and blinked a little.

"I… thought we could play dress-up…" he said in a pathetic attempt at clarifying what he had just been doing. Sanji's eyes slanted further, but a small smirk twitched at his lips at the same time.

"Forgot they got scared so easily, huh?" he asked. Usopp laughed nervously, before yelping as Chopper head butted him again for good measure.

Nami knocked gently on the door upstairs, frowning slightly when she didn't get an instant response like normal.

"…Boys?" she noised softly, "It's only Usopp. I know he's scary looking, but seriously…" she snickered softly at her own joke. Inside the room, Zoro and Luffy had taken refuge in a pillow fort that the two of them-- both being excellent at doing whatever they focused their minds on-- put together at the speed of light.

"He's a _Pirate_!" Luffy cried, sounding forever like a two year old kid who had just seen monsters under the bed.

"He had a _sword_!" Zoro agreed, sounding almost exactly the same. The two of them both ducked down again, quite content to hide up here until the freaky pirate with a sword went 'yarring' at someone else's home. Nami's eyes slanted.

"Luffy, you like pirates. Zoro, you like swords. C'mon, it's just Usopp! Chopper's here too." she said as she carefully opened the door and peeked in, blinking in comedic shock at the pillow fort, "Err…" There was no response, before Luffy burst out of the pillows like a rabbit on speed.

"USOPP'S A PIRATE!? SO COOOOL!" he cried, and was downstairs in a heartbeat, bouncing around the long nose and squeaking about how great pirates were, how his day had been, how great pirates were… how great pirates were… did I say he was telling Usopp about how great pirates were?

Upstairs, Zoro was left to clamber a little less easily out of the pillow pile, but after making his daring escape, had wandered past Nami with a mumbled 'swords' and a glint to his eye.

Usopp was laughing nervously as Luffy continued to bounce around him, pulling at his costume and grinning from ear to ear, while Zoro had moved to a position that was out of the way, and where he could clearly watch the sword in Usopp's hand without, hopefully, being spotted. Sanji was smirking and shaking his head, before he turned to watch as Nami made her way down the stairs. He gave her a broad smile, before turning back to Usopp again.

"I've fixed their meals for the day, you just have to heat it up when you're ready. If they behave and _only _if they behave, they get dessert. Make sure you don't forget." the blonde warned, his tone not one of pleading, but more of 'If you do, you'll be a plastered pirate on the wall.'. Usopp nodded to Sanji, knowing that this was a duty he could both remember, and fill out. After all, it would be just like looking after Chopper. Noticing the green haired teen's expression and the direction of his gaze, the long nose smiled and held it out.

"Here." he said, waiting for Zoro to take it. The green haired teen jerked a little at being discovered staring, before he just blinked in mild confusion at Usopp. After a second, he reached out a hesitant hand and took it from the long nose. He nodded once in thanks and Usopp grinned widely.

"You're welcome." he replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Sanji and Nami, seeing that their boys were in good hands so far, linked arms and began making for the door.

"See you later, guys. The restaurant number and our phone numbers are on the wall. Be careful, good and if they break something…" Nami smiled bitter-sweetly at Usopp, "You'll be paying for a new one." Winking to show she was kidding (sort of), the two moved out.

"Bye bye, Nami!" Luffy cried, waving a hand like a little kid while Zoro raised a hand quickly in the background, and then dropped it again. Sanji smiled a little as he closed the door and led Nami to the car. Sometimes, those two really were, _too _cute.

Clarobell: Well, there you have it. Apologies for the long wait again. Been busy, ya know?? Hopefully next chapter will be up a little bit quicker.


	32. Nakamaman & The Marimo

**Clarobell: Apologies guys for the long wait. Don't think that this fic is abandoned, because it isn't. Both Plushie and I are having some pretty hard times right now and fanfic isn't one of our top priorities. As an apology, we've setup a little crackfic which is posted under my account. Feel free to go read it. This chapter is like, almost 8000 words long,. So hopefully the huge length will make up for the lack of update, eh??**

**Plushie: Sorry for how long this took! Been tired, yada yada, no excuse really, but we have the next chapters lined up and ready, so don't fret too hard for now, eh? It's a little longer than usual too, I think. **

--_**Dramatic**____**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**____**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**Chapter 32: Nakamaman and The Marimo**_

The minute Sanji and Nami left, Luffy turned to Zoro and grinned widely at the sword in the older teen's hand. Holding it carefully so he didn't drop it, Zoro turned it over and inspected it, and from the way his eyes roved over the hilt and the blade (though it was only rubber), it seemed almost like he _knew _something about how it was supposed to be shaped; to be held. Usopp didn't take much notice, thinking that it must have been something Zoro just liked and had read about, or watched on TV. Luffy was clueless, only having eyes for the sword itself.

"Zoro! You're a swordsman!" the boy chirped, bouncing over to his friend but not touching the object in the older man's hand, "Can I be the plank?" He looked perfectly serious, as Usopp sniggered in the background and Chopper sat on his haunches, watching the scene before him with smiling eyes. It was obvious Luffy had been watching _way_ too much TV lately, and that could have been partially because _Zoro_ watched way too much TV. That and the fact the kid had never really been allowed to watch whatever he wanted. He'd seen a few shows in passing when Gramps was asleep on the couch, but never anything substantially entertaining. Nothing like adventures and cartoons and pirates! Zoro blinked slowly at Luffy, not having got what the hell the kid was talking about.

"…What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow a little.

"The plank! On the pirate ship! That way I can't walk it, ne?" Luffy grinned, thinking he was _so _clever and was _so _not going to be the one walking the plank and sleeping with the fishes like they'd said on TV. Mind you… sleeping with fishes could've been fun. Never know, right? Maybe they gave fishy kisses goodnight? Zoro stared at Luffy blankly, not sure whether that was insanely smart, or just plain stupid.

"…You're weird…" Zoro announced, and Usopp snorted before covering his mouth to hide his sniggering. It was obvious that whatever entered Zoro's head came out of his mouth blunt, and without warning. Luffy was clueless about most things he said, just blurting out whatever happened to waltz into his head. Zoro did actually think, but still said it anyway. Luffy was staring blankly at Zoro, and the older teen was staring back in the exact same way. After a while, Usopp blinked a little when he realised they were having a full on staring contest.

…Or maybe they'd just forgotten to blink?

Either excuse was quite plausible. Looking between the two, Usopp raised an eyebrow before clearing his throat loudly, making both jump as he held out both arms.

"Well, I brought you some costumes!" he announced, puffing out his chest proudly. The material draped over his arms had a soft sheen to it and almost looked like liquid. Quite obviously some stretchy sort of material that Luffy had never seen. Mystery material. One was red, the other green. He hadn't admitted it, but Usopp had been planning this since Nami and Sanji had asked him to baby sit. Or 'sleepover' or whatever. He'd thought up games, had modified the costumes, and had practiced how to be calm and speak firmly should anything get out of hand. Chopper had helped of course, playing the part of Zoro and Luffy. Said boys were currently looking from each other to the shiny costume draped over the performers arm. Usopp couldn't help but smirk at their awed expression. Nami had told him about how easily impressed to two could be, but he really hadn't expected them to be so thrilled with two silly little costumes. From the looks on their faces, he guessed they didn't even know what they were looking it.

"…What are… costumes?" Zoro asked, narrowing his eyes a little as he glanced down at the material over Usopp's arms. They sounded evil…

"They're um, things you wouldn't dress up in normally!" Usopp nodded, absently cheering himself on mentally for reading the boys' expressions so well. On the other hand though, he hadn't prepared for _that_. Then again, maybe he should have. He'd forgotten how little Zoro and Luffy actually knew, hence their still very childish natures. Holding both the costumes up, Usopp smiled calmly, trying to assure them that it was quite safe.

"Oh… why would you want to?" Zoro asked, eyes taking on a rather doubtful and slightly annoyed look. Usopp's smile fell as his eyes slanted. Typical… _someone _always had to be difficult about Great Usopp-sama's masterful plan!

"For fun; to pretend to be someone else." He explained bluntly. Luffy's eyes were sparkling as he stared longingly at the red costume. He had no idea what Usopp and Zoro were rabbiting on about, but that outfit looked pretty darn neat!

"Oh… why would you want to-" Zoro was cut off as Chopper butted him gently in the knees, giving him a soft, but silencing look. The teen blinked a little, and unlike when people told him to be quiet like that, when he felt offended and downtrodden like he had with Alvida, Chopper's look was calm and seemed to assure him that the little reindeer didn't mean anything by it. He just wanted silence from him. That was all. Zoro fell silent and looked back at Usopp again, waiting for his next instructions. Usopp glanced at Chopper and then handed the red costume to Luffy -- who bounced so hard that the floor squeaked in protest -- and the green one to Zoro -- who didn't seem to know what to do with it.

"You put them on, guys. Like clothes." Usopp said, feeling his lips twitch in a small smile. It really was like having children. Luffy grinned and began stripping down then and there, while Zoro blinked and then headed off to the bathroom to change. Chopper pranced a little at Luffy's half nakedness and nudged him into the kitchen before coming back and giving Usopp a _weird _look.

"Ah, they're ok." Usopp grinned, laughing a little, "We're supposed to look after them, ne?"

Indeed, Usopp hadn't thought about this before but, it made him quite proud to be the only one Nami and Sanji seemed to trust with Luffy and Zoro.

--

Nami stared vacantly at the restaurant table before her.

"…You think they're ok?" she asked. Sanji blinked before giving her a reassuring smile.

"They're fine." he replied, before twitching. Raising an eyebrow, Nami glanced to the side.

"Right… you're right, Sanji-kun… they're fine." she nodded, before doing the exact same nervous twitch Sanji had done.

--

Usopp sighed as he leaned against the hallway wall. What was taking those two so long? It wasn't like the costumes were tight. Actually, he had made extra sure that they wouldn't be. Luffy would be able to move more freely, Zoro as well, and Zoro's fear of being constricted, wouldn't be triggered.

"Ussssssooooooppppp!! Which arm goes wheeeeeeeerrrrrreeeee?" Luffy whined pitifully from the kitchen. Usopp blinked before sighing a little. He had just begun to move when Zoro returned, still in the clothes he'd been in when the long nose had arrived, only with the buttons on his shirt done up the way little kids do them. With the buttons always going through the hole one lower than it should. He went straight into the kitchen, there was some rustling, and a Luffy-voiced grunt and then Zoro re-emerged with a yawn, heading back the way he had come. Chopper blinked and then looked up at Usopp, who was smiling gently.

"They really look after each other, huh?" he said quietly, looking down at his little reindeer friend. Chopper blinked up at him gently, before leaning against the teen's leg happily. There was a moment's silence before Luffy burst out of the kitchen, puffing his chest up as the red cape fluttered in the breeze he had caused by his abrupt appearance.

"I'm a **SUPER HERO**!" he cried, grinning from ear to ear.

Usopp smirked, feeling an inner sense of pride at his fantastic work on the costumes. Chopper pranced on the spot for a second before diving at Luffy and grabbing his cape, tugging at it and indicating that the 'super hero' should chase him. Picking it up easily, Luffy ran after the little reindeer, hot on his heels. Zoro emerged, plucking at the material a little.

"I'm a… villain?" he asked, blinking and shrugging a little.

"Yup!" Usopp confirmed with a quick nod. Luffy and Chopper ran behind the rather confused 'villain', going around him before heading back the way they had just come.

"Bad guys don't wear this stuff on TV…" Zoro commented under his breath, plucking at the material again, "I guess there's Robin, but he's not a bad guy." Usopp rolled his eyes a little, smirking as the older teen continued mumbling under his breath about bad guys, and Robin and such. Appearing back in the door with Chopper in his arms, Luffy blinked as he noticed Zoro and then (after dropping the poor little reindeer) pointed dramatically at him, flinging the cape back behind himself so it fluttered like it was in a breeze.

"You there!" he cried quite suddenly, making Usopp and Zoro jump nearly a mile in the air, "Marimo! **I'LL ARREST YOU!**" Blinking slowly, for once not really that fazed by the loud noise, the 'Marimo', smirked a little as it clicked into place what he was supposed to do.

"**NEVAR!**" he cried in a bad accent, surprising everyone before he bolted. Luffy was the first to recover, and with a giant grin, ran after him.

"Isn't… Zoro meant to be chasing Luffy…?" Usopp muttered, scratching at his head. Chopper snorted quietly before leaning against the teen's legs again, listening as there were varied yells around the house. It was obvious that the two were having a lot more fun being other characters, than being themselves.

"Nakamaman will defeat you!" Luffy cried from somewhere upstairs.

"Na…kama… man?" Usopp noised, one eyebrow raised high before he jumped as Zoro scrambled back into the room and dived behind the couch. 'Nakamaman' appeared in the doorway, scanning the room and creeping in. Popping his head up from behind the couch, 'The Marimo', smirked a little.

"Har har har…" he laughed, but it was both a pathetic attempt, and obviously very forced. Definitely not an evil laugh. Chopper, Luffy and Usopp stared at him with blank expressions while Zoro stared blankly right back. Hey! At least he'd attempted it! A small smile spread across the youngest teen's face, eyes taking on a knowing look.

"Zoro doesn't like to laugh, ne?" he nodded, "Copy me. Mwar…"

"…er… Mwar?" Zoro replied, copying.

"Har har har…"

"Har har… har?"

"Mwarharharhar!" Luffy nodded, grinning. Usopp put a hand over his mouth to hide the smile. Zoro repeated the laugh, smiling a little at his success.

"MWAHAHHAHAAAHAAHA!" Luffy cried, a villain in the making. Usopp snorted heavily, trying to stifle the laughter so he didn't upset someone. Staring at Luffy in more than a little concern, Zoro backed away to behind the couch again and then a repeated and very loud copy of what the other boy had done, was heard at almost twice the sound. That was it, and with a loud yelp of 'Zoro's so cool!' the good guy ran off as 'The Marimo' chased after him, mwahaha-ing like a pro. Usopp cackled and joined in, still in his pirate's getup. As it turned out though, while Luffy was running away from Zoro, _both _of them were running away from Usopp… for real. Chopper skipped and hopped nervously, before bolting after the long nose to make sure he didn't scare one of them into a panic attack.

As it turned out, the little game got more and more intense and soon the long-nosed teen was quite worn out. Luffy and Zoro, despite both not really being all that healthy, Luffy especially, seemed to have gained a new life in them from just being able to be free to have fun and run around like fools. Nothing was restricting them because they weren't Zoro and Luffy. They were Nakamaman and The Marimo! Tireless hero and villain of their own little world. The game started getting a little _too _rambunctious though for Usopp's liking and he eventually managed to pull them up.

"GUYS!" he shouted, causing the two to pause and stare at him, "Play nice." Luffy looked at Zoro, and immediately it was like the two of them had rejoined their old selves again, and they fell into the usual 'we're sorry, don't hurt us' pose. Hunch-shouldered and heads bowed. Serious lack of self-esteem.

"S-sorry, Usopp…" Zoro muttered, shuffling his feet nervously as Luffy nodded to support that statement.

"We'll be good…" the younger boy whispered and Usopp sighed a little. Shouting probably hadn't been the best idea…

"It's okay, I'm not angry. I think you guys just need to have a break so you don't wear yourselves out too much for later, ne? Why don't we play something else?" Usopp covered easily with a smile. The boys glanced at each other, before looking up again and nodding.

"What are we playing?" Luffy asked, running over and dropping down in front of the older teen. Zoro followed a little less enthusiastically, seating himself beside Luffy and looking up to Usopp patiently, and almost a little bored. He'd been having fun! 

"Hm," Usopp thought, tapping his chin with a finger from where he sat on the couch. Luffy waited, and waited, fidgeting as he steadily grew more excited about it. After all, the longer it took, the better it must've been, right? When Sanji took a long time cooking something, it was usually really, really good! He glomped onto Zoro's arm, hugging it and making the older teen blink a little as he looked down.

"Na! Ages 3 and up! It says on my box, ages 3 and up!" he quoted, tugging his arm away. Luffy blinked, Usopp sniggered heavily at the quote from the movie _Toy Story_ and fell back on the couch before he had a stroke of genius.

"Aha! I know what you guys can play." he said, jumping down to sit between them.

"Na?" Luffy blinked, all eyes and catty smile.

"Okay, do you know what quotes are?" the long nosed asked. Zoro frowned a little.

"Nami said they're something to do with expenses." he said, "Like, getting a quote on a house." 

"Eh?" Luffy blinked, "Sanji said they're lines from movies! How do you put a line of words on a house?" Usopp's eyes slanted a little as he was completely forgotten in this conversation.

"Write them on." Zoro muttered, shrugging. Luffy paused.

"Ohhhh!" he nodded, smiling brightly. That made sense.

"Okay, no, not lines of words on a house. That's graffiti." he explained, "I mean-" 

"So Nami graffiti's houses?" Luffy and Zoro asked, causing the long nosed teen to sigh a little.

"No. Okay, Zoro, what you just said? Where did you get it from?"

"Mr. Potato head." he replied, fidgeting a little shyly. Unlike Luffy, he was at the stage of understanding basic embarrassment. He didn't like it. Nodding, Usopp smiled a little.

"Right. So, these types of quotes, are things said by people in movies. You understand?" he explained. Zoro nodded a little, and it took Luffy a second before he figured it out and nodded as well, "Okay. So, the game is, you can think of anything said by anyone in any movie you've seen, and Luffy can go first, and he'll say the quote. Zoro, what you have to do, is think up a quote that will match his, but it _can't _be from the same movie, ne? You get it?" Luffy nodded fervently and Zoro blinked a little, before nodding hesitantly. He understood, just wasn't sure if this was going to be any fun.

"Okay, go Luffy." Usopp directed, leaning back against the couch behind him and waiting patiently as the boy thought for a little while. Zoro yawned widely as he waited, eyes drooping a little.

"Ah! I got it! '_We're men! We're men in tights!'_" He cried, grinning widely as Usopp half fell over in mild shock. Zoro blinked, before bursting into laughter, hand over his mouth. It was so true. So very true. They were both sitting there in the tight-ish material, looking indeed like men in tights.

"Alright," Usopp nodded, still sniggering a little, "Zoro, your turn." Zoro thought for a moment, before a small smile came to his face as he came up with something. 

"'_You are a sad, strange little man. And you have my pity.'_" He replied, making the long nose once again, almost fall over in fits of giggles. Luffy blinked before grinning sheepishly. The game continued on for a long, long time, in which Usopp quickly got quite bored. The two boys seemed to be a never ending bank of quotes and movie lines. They just kept going, and going, and going, until finally he had to interrupt.

"Naaa, I had another one to go!" Luffy protested, pouting forcefully while Zoro huffed in the background. Usopp chuckled and patted the boy gently on the head.

"You can play it again, later, ne? Why don't you play dress up again?" he suggested, laughing a little nervously. He wondered if Sanji and Nami had to deal with the two this way. Whether Zoro and Luffy mucked around this much while they were under their 'parents'' care. Somehow, he doubted it. He was more like… the lenient uncle. He chuckled at the thought and then blinked when Luffy and Zoro stared at him, glancing at each other and then looking back at him again.

"What?" the long nose blinked.

The rest of the day passed by with 'Nakamaman' and 'The Marimo' having many adventures together, one of which involved them joining forces and chasing an imaginary bad guy by the name of Kensei. Usopp was worn out by the end of the day, Chopper already having found a quiet place to take a nap due to having been chased around so much by the super hero and villain. Having sat down for a break from the constant game, the long nose felt his conscious slipping and his eyes drooping. He couldn't sleep though! What kind of trouble would Luffy and Zoro get into if he did? Anything could happen. Blinking when conversational voices reached his ears, he twisted in the couch to see Luffy bouncing from foot to foot, Zoro standing in front of him, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

"Ah, I was not acting like cheese head." the older teen growled, blushing a little.

"Were too!"

"Were not!"

"Were too!"

"Were not!"

"You said it, I heard you!"

"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on?" Usopp called, half laughing and half shocked as he moved out from behind the couch and over to the two arguing 'kids'.

"Zoro said…" and Luffy turned an uncharacteristic smirk on the older teen as he heaved in a deep breath like a kid dobbing in an older sibling, "Mellorine!" Zoro blushed from the roots of his hair right to his chest, making him look like he had a bad case of sunburn. 

"I did not!"

"Did too!" 

"Alright, enough!" Usopp cried over the fight, shaking his head a little and barely able to stop himself from laughing, "I don't want to know why Zoro said that," Actually, he did, but this wasn't the time for picking on the two, "But it's said and done, so let's just let it go, eh?"

"…Let what go…? I'm not holding anything." Luffy blinked a little, quite confused. Usopp heaved a soft sigh, before smiling reassuringly at the boy as a sad frown crossed his face at the sigh.

"Hey, why don-"

"Oi, oi, I have an idea." Zoro interrupted, then blinked and bowed his head, "Sorry…" Shaking his head, the long nose put a hand on the older teen's shoulder, ignoring the resulting flinch. He'd realised that was a given with the green haired man at this stage.

"Tell us!" Usopp and Luffy chorused together, both flashing bright smiles at the other man. Zoro looked up a little before shifting slightly.

"Well," he began in his usual, very quiet tone. The others listened intently while he explained his plan.

Usopp could barely breathe for laughing, his little video camera which never left his pocket, on and recording the action in front of him. He couldn't believe how well the 'dressing up' idea had worked for these two. Both of them had worked on Zoro's idea _without_ any input from the long nose. Now, the oldest teen was standing in a jaunty little position, hand set on his hip and a lollypop held between his fingers along with a mop on his head. The mop had been arranged in such a fashion, that it looked very much like Sanji's hair. Which, really, suited the situation as that was exactly who Zoro was trying to look like.

He'd even been game enough to get the chef's pink apron and put it on over his Marimo outfit. Luffy was on the verge of breaking into violent giggles, hands pressed over his mouth and eyes watering. Like Zoro, he was also dressed up but instead of Sanji, he was the counterpart, Nami. His dark hair had been combed and gelled to look like Nami's. He wore a tight shirt with two socks shoved up the front as makeshift boobs, and he wore one of Nami's miniskirts over his Nakamaman outfit. Chopper was sitting in the back, not really sure if this should be encouraged.

"Luffy-swaan is _so_ beautiful as a girl!" Zoro intoned, not doing a bad imitation of the chef's flirty whine as he flicked his mop of hair for effect. Luffy was sniggering so hard now that tears were starting to fall from his eyes. This was just too much fun!

"Zoro-kun! I-I'm hungry!" he replied, twitching desperately as he tried to hold back his laughter. Zoro raised an eyebrow, then paused when something just… wasn't right. Looking around a little, he dived on a piece of ribbon that was sitting on the table from an earlier game. Grabbing it up, he curled it up a little and then used a little bit of sticky-tape to make it stick. Grinning at his success, he turned back to Luffy again, who had to fight hard to not fall over and laugh himself silly.

"As you wish, Luffy-swaaan!" he cried, noodling a little and then performing a little skip for effect. Luffy couldn't take it any more and burst into hysterical laughter, falling over while Zoro just continued grinning at him. The boy rolled around on the floor for a few seconds, pointing at Zoro and garbling out nonsense before he slowly got back to his feet again, wiping the tears from his eyes. Seriously, Sanji with a lollypop?? And Zoro was such a good actor!!

"Okay, okay. My turn now, ne? I'll be a good Nami!" Luffy smiled, clearing his throat and getting ready. His face suddenly darkened, and a tic stood out on his forehead as he raised a small fist and held it threateningly towards Zoro.

"Zoro-kuuun. Were you looking at other _women_ again!?" the boy hissed, doing a spectacular imitation of the woman herself. Zoro couldn't help it, and he let out a snort before controlling it again and clasping his hands under his chin, wriggling a little on the spot.

"Of course not, Luffy-swan! How could I, when all I can see is your beautiful face?"

"Good! Because if you were…" Luffy warned, swaggering up to Zoro and almost coming nose to nose with the older teen before he faltered and blinked a little, "Naa, Zoro? What _would _Nami do?" Zoro blinked, stunned out of his 'Sanji' act. Usopp privately thought that these two would make fantastic actors, and one day, maybe when they were healed enough, he could possibly get them to do a show with them at the circus. It'd be awesome!

"Hm, Probably whack Sanji around the head, I guess…" Zoro shrugged. After all, Nami whacked everyone. Even him, but the hits she gave other people looked a lot harder than the light whacks she sometimes gave him and Luffy. Blinking a little at that, the dark haired boy's 'Nami' face was up again, and he bopped Zoro lightly over the head with his fist.

"Yes, Luffy-san." 'Sanji' replied, smiling goofily, "Luffy-swan is so charming when he's hitting me." That was when the killer came, and Zoro began noodling exactly like the chef himself, lollypop now clutched at the corner of his lips.

"Better believe it!" Luffy replied with a sneaky wink, before he burst into laughter and grabbed at his stomach. Zoro sniggered behind a hand, pulling the lollypop out and pressing a hand over his mouth as he laughed. Usopp was shaking with silent laughter, while Chopper was prancing from foot to foot beside him, finding this most entertaining. All three were too engrossed in their laughing, that they didn't hear the car pull up outside, or hear the door open.

"Hi…" Nami began as she entered the lounge room and then paused, blinking slowly, "… guys…" Luffy's eyes shot wide open, blinking at Nami before he grinned like nothing was wrong at all.

"Hi, Nami!" he cried happily, waving a hand at her. Zoro choked and looked up, only to meet the ginger haired woman's eyes, and he quickly ducked his head again. Crap… they'd been caught. Lucky for Usopp though, both Zoro and Luffy knew nothing about video cameras and hence, didn't worry about it being on and recording them. Therefore, Zoro had no idea that he'd been caught at least an hour ago already. Sanji appeared behind Nami, and blinked at the two in the room before him, looking between them and then staring at the apron Zoro was wearing. Oookay… had Usopp driven them both insane, or was this a normal kink for them when they were left alone? … He wasn't sure he wanted to know. Zoro couldn't meet either one's eyes, bowing his head and shuffling his feet as he reached up and pulled the mop head off his own. He couldn't take it though, and soon his shoulders began shaking violently until he snorted and clamped a hand over his mouth as he began laughing all over again. Usopp, for his part, was laughing like a loon as he slipped the camera back into his pocket again. Turning to the staring people in the doorway, the long nose grinned widely.

"I have something to show you two later. I'm sure you'll love it." he snorted. Silence followed this, before Sanji finally looked at him.

"…I'm… sure we will…" he replied, not sounding reassured in the slightest. The room was silent, apart from Luffy's giggles and Zoro's muffled laughter.

"I'm… SUPERWOMAN!" Luffy suddenly cried, making everyone jump and turn to stare at him as he struck a pose. The socks which had been tucked up his shirt, slowly slid down until one fell out, shortly followed by the other. Zoro stared at them, before looking at Luffy again.

"Your boobs fell out." he stated quite bluntly, making the younger boy blink and look down at the socks now laying at his feet. Sanji had to turn away at that, trying to hold back his laughter at how badly that simple statement could've been taken had this been a different situation, while Nami snorted heavily into her hand and shook her head.

"… **NAKAMAMAN!**" Luffy cried instead, still in the pose and grinning widely. Zoro pulled the apron off and tossed it over the couch, his trench-coat swinging free as he yanked the ribbon off as well and then exited the room, much to the shock of everyone in there. He was silent, he was normal, and it looked like he had been more offended than anything else.

"Ah-" Nami began, but was cut off as Usopp held up a hand.

"They're playing a game." he explained, "Just watch."

"Never catch me, Nakamaman!" came an echo-y, slightly muffled voice from above and Luffy turned to the doorway, already knowing that was how this game went. Zoro wouldn't yell if he was in the room, but once he was hidden, he would, and then it would be the 'good guy's' main priority to find him. Like a spiced up game of hide and seek.

"YAHAHA!! Justiiice!" Luffy cried, before diving past Nami and Sanji and up the stairs. Slowly, the two 'parents' turned looks of shocked confusion on the circus actor, and just stared at him.

"What have you _done _to them?" Sanji asked, not sure whether to be horrified, relieved or concerned. Nami was of a similar mind, moving into the room and sitting down on the couch. Okay, so, they were laughing and having fun but… they seemed slightly insane, and she had to wonder if leaving the 'kids' alone with ole' 'uncle Usopp', had been such a great idea.

"Hm, long story." the boy replied, before launching into an explanation of the day. What they'd done, Zoro and Luffy's ideas, how they'd thought up games to play themselves with only a little prompting from Usopp. How they'd done things completely opposite to their normal behavior whilst dressed up, and to say Nami and Sanji were shocked, was an understatement. They couldn't believe it, and so, continued to listen to the long nose explain everything he'd learnt about his new friends throughout the day.

Upstairs, Zoro, still in full on 'The Marimo' mode, had his adversary, 'Nakamaman', pinned to the floor and was grinning triumphantly.

"I have you now, Nakamaman." he smirked, grunting a little as the boy under him struggled to get away again. Luffy smirked right back, before curling up almost inhumanly, bringing his knees up to his chest and pressing his socked feet to Zoro's.

"Bubye!" he grinned, before shoving as hard as he could. This served to send Zoro off the boy, and tumbling head over heels to the floor, shaking his head a little at the dizziness that set in. Luffy blinked, Zoro copied the action… and then smirked, and dived at the boy once more, not deterred in the slightest. Both of them had realised, early on in the day, that while Nami and Sanji told them quite often to be themselves, being themselves was harder to do, because they weren't entirely sure what _they _were. But, as it turned out, these other characters were easy to play, because they weren't Zoro and Luffy. They were The Marimo and Nakamaman. Good, and evil. It was so much easier to be something else; pretending.

Usopp was just about to explain what had happened to provoke the dressing up as Nami and Sanji, when a thud and a scuffle upstairs made him look up at the ceiling. Glancing at each other with furrowed eyebrows that said instantly that they were worried, Nami and Sanji bolted for the stairs and practically tripped over each other as they skidded to a halt outside Luffy's room. Usopp and Chopper were right behind them, peering over the two's shoulders to see what was going on. 'Nakamaman' and 'The Marimo', were currently locked in an epic battle that really should've belonged in some form of anime, movie or comic book.

Their faces were mere inches apart, hands over their heads and clasped together as they tried to push the other backwards. The looks on their faces seemed almost like they were completely different people, and it wasn't until Nami made a soft noise of confusion, and Sanji hissed at Usopp about 'driving his boys insane', that Luffy looked up and squeaked at being caught. His eyes widened, while Zoro flailed at not having something to push against, and ended up knocking both of them over backwards.

"I'm sorry!" Luffy squeaked at Nami and Sanji, thinking that they were mad. After all, he was being noisy and silly. That wasn't right. Zoro groaned and rubbed at his head, having thwacked it on the floor as he scrambled off Luffy as quickly as he could. Pouting as Zoro pulled away, Luffy turned wide eyes to Sanji, having forgotten already exactly why he'd stopped playing with the older teen.

"Sanji, you let the bad guy win!" he whined, sitting up and huffing slightly. Sanji blinked, now thoroughly lost. What the hell had just happened…? Zoro threw Luffy a purely childish 'Nyah nyah' look, smirking as he got to his feet. He glanced sideways at Nami and Sanji before bowing his head, mumbling a sorry before moving past them and down the stairs. Luffy blinked… blinked again… before diving after the green haired teen, hollering about justice and what not, and how bad guys never win. Nami blinked at Sanji, who looked mildly miffed that Luffy had shoved past so carelessly, but the look his girlfriend threw him made him subside quickly. It wasn't Luffy's fault, after all. He'd never had the chance to play games like this, and neither had Zoro. In fact, both of them hadn't even known what a game was. He couldn't imagine the fun and excitement they must be feeling at this sudden new found freedom.

The first time Nami had tried to teach Zoro how to play something simple like 'I, spy', he'd gotten too confused to even reply with a straight answer. Luffy seemed to catch on quicker with games, but his imitating made it easier for him, lending him the temporary knowledge long enough to pick up the rules. More scuffles broke out downstairs, occasional yelps or 'mwaha's' floating up to where Usopp was now grinning proudly.

After about an hour, Zoro had finally fallen asleep in a hiding place that he was sure his 'arch-nemesis' would never find. This proved false though, as Luffy was currently curled up beside the older teen, loosely hugging the man's arm and head resting on a bony shoulder. Nami, Sanji, Chopper and Usopp had retreated to the lounge room to watch the long nose's film, and were now all cackling away in amusement as Luffy bopped Zoro over the head, and the older teen performed Sanji's classic noodle dance with almost dead-on precision.

"And just whose idea was this?" Sanji asked, amusement in his voice. He wasn't quite sure how to react to the noodling, but if anything, he was probably proud. Zoro couldn't have seen him do that more than once, and yet he'd mimicked him perfectly. Did Zoro really know him so well? Now… if he could just get Zoro to say 'Luffy-swan' all the time, then his wicked plan would be complete. For Zoro anyway. Next it was time to work on Luffy. Heh heh heh…. He could just imagine it now, the Zoro-swaan. Nami seemed to sense what he was thinking and raising an eyebrow, she bopped the chef over the head.

"Don't be a freak." she reprimanded. Sanji just blinked. Usopp chuckled loudly before grinning.

"Theirs. Zoro liked the dressing up thing, once he'd asked twenty questions about it, anyway." the long nose replied, shaking his head a little.

"He does that." Nami smirked.

"And Luffy just seemed over the moon about the fact that it was red." Usopp continued, laughing a little.

"He likes red things." Sanji nodded, watching as Zoro glomped Luffy, and the boy squealed before shoving him off and bopping him over the head even more.

"Hm, I think it's easier for them to pretend they're someone other than themselves. Being themselves seems to confuse them." the long nose commented once the room was silent again, Luffy and Zoro's tinny voices floating up from the turned down television.

"It's like a vacation from their own realities, where the rules don't apply if they're somebody else. Interesting…" Sanji nodded in agreement, watching as the tape ended and Usopp turned the TV off. Nami smiled a little.

"You have a way with them." she grinned, elbowing the boy sitting beside her. Laughing a little bashfully, the long nose got to his feet and stretched a little, moving over to unplug his camera and slip it back into his pocket.

"I'll make copies of these and drop them off later this week, ne?" he asked, glancing between them, "Oh! I also discovered… they both have amazing memories."

"Huh?" Nami blinked, "Yeah, and?" She wasn't quite sure what the long nose was on about, but if it was a simple statement, she was going to whack him one as well. Surely Usopp should've realised that was why the boys had so much trouble letting go of what had happened to them. She really had no idea as to how they could still remember it all, without the whole 'suppressed memories' thing, kicking in. The mind can't handle it, so it suppresses it until later on. Perhaps it was the fact that they'd only known what had happened to them, and nothing else, so didn't know any better and therefore didn't feel the need to get rid of those memories. … Still…

"Well, they remembered every quote from every one of their favourite movies. Even the ones they've only just recently seen. Oh, Zoro still likes Toy Story. He likes Mr. Potato Head." Usopp elaborated.

Nami and Sanji blinked, glanced at each other, and then burst into laughter. Typical of their boys to remember such useless information and yet struggle actually studying.

It wasn't long before Usopp finally left with a few parting waves to the two 'adults' and with a hand on Chopper's back, he strolled away down the street, already planning what would happen for his next visit. He couldn't remember ever having a more fun day.

Nami and Sanji searched for their now silent, and missing charges before finding them snuggled up in the pantry, Zoro now hugging Luffy, while the younger boy was smiling serenely as he slept, arms wrapped securely around the slightly thicker ones over his chest. Not having the heart to wake the two up, a blanket was draped over them, the kitchen light left on so they didn't freak if they woke up during the night, and then went off to watch some television before going to bed.

--

The next day was Zoro's birthday. Luffy was up trotting around with Sanji, helping him cook and clean, while Nami sorted out the presents and the like, letting the now 19 year old teen sleep in. Zoro was far from asleep though. After moving both himself and Luffy back up to their rooms at about one in the morning, he'd drifted in and out of sleep, just thinking about the next day. The eleventh of November. The same day a year ago, when he'd been kicked (literally) out of the orphanage. That had been a good thing, definitely. No more Alvida, or that crappy, run down, horrible place where he was even more alone than a stink bug. He'd snorted at the imagery of that, if only for his own amusement. He knew that Nami and Sanji weren't going to throw him out, but what was bothering him, was that he didn't know how to react to a birthday. Having never had one, it was as blank to him as… well… trying to read a book. He didn't know what he was supposed to do. Was he supposed to be… happy? That's what Nami and Sanji had said a while ago when explaining all the different holidays like Christmas, Birthdays and Easter to him. He'd seen Nami and Sanji celebrate their own birthdays before now, but, they somehow seemed different from now, less… enthusiastic.

Well, he wasn't exactly psyched about it being his birthday. Was he supposed to be? He wasn't sure. Well, no one had said anything about his upcoming birthday during the week, so he'd be like them, and he'd pretend it didn't exist. Yep, that's what he'd do. It seemed the simplest solution. It wasn't long after finally coming to his decision that he'd drifted off to sleep again. It didn't take long before Luffy had woken him up, saying Nami was taking them shopping again. Less than thrilled, Zoro had sighed and gotten up to get dressed before heading down. Nothing seemed out of place, or out of the ordinary, and neither Nami nor Sanji was acting any different. Luffy looked like he'd been having giggle fits all morning, but that was just Luffy.

After Nami had dragged him quite literally _everywhere_, made him look at things that were completely boring, i.e.; going into a _bookstore_ of all places, they'd stopped for something to eat and Zoro was starting to relax. Okay, no birthday anything's so far, so that was perfectly fine with him. Damn those books were evil, leering at him with their unreadable covers, and tiny writing. Evil….

When he'd started falling asleep as they were walking, and ended up almost running into some weird old bloke (who Zoro had promptly skirted around), he was allowed to go back to the car and sleep there instead.

The next time he awoke, he was… back in the house? How'd he gotten there? Had he been dreaming? Damn it, what was going on!? He was starting to get annoyed and freaked out with this whole thing. It wasn't until he looked around that he saw Nami, Sanji and Luffy all watching him from in front of a cake that had been set up on a table behind the couch. He'd blinked, and then gotten up to stare at them awkwardly, and had been even more so when they'd wished him a happy birthday.

He was starting to back up, freaking out a little, when Luffy had run over and taken his hand, lifting it and placing something in it that made the green haired teen blink in complete confusion, stating that it was from himself. He'd stared at it for a while, before registering it was a gift (albeit a messily wrapped one, but hey, it was Luffy.) and slowly opening it. Not bothering to have written a card, due to the whole 'Zoro still learning how to read' thing, Luffy had packed the little gift (obviously with helped though) in some green tissue paper inside the box.

"Nami ordered it a while ago!" Luffy announced, grinning down at the little silver picture frame, "Ne! Isn't it cool?" He seemed to want an opinion on the gift. Zoro pulled it out, something seeming to flicker in his eyes as he stared at the picture frame with a small sword emblazoned in gold on the side of it, and a picture of himself and Luffy from that day they'd played in the snow a while back. Grinning, he suddenly knew what to do and he gave Luffy a squeezy hug before pulling away and nodding.

"Very cool." he agreed.

Luffy giggled softly and reached into his baggy pocket, tugging out an even smaller gift and hesitantly handing it to his friend.

"This is _my_ gift to Zoro." He stated bashfully.

Zoro blinked in shock, not having actually expected anything other than a hug from Luffy. The boy didn't earn any money after all and probably had to lend it from Nami. Running his finger over the smooth wrapping, he peeled it away, tearing the sealed sections to get to the small wooden box inside. Luffy nodded encouragingly as Zoro glanced his way, and that was all the older teen needed as he lifted the lid, blinking at the sparkling golden objects inside.

"They're… earrings?" he asked uncertainly, plucking one up and inspecting it. It wasn't a clip on, but he didn't have one piercing, let alone three.

"I thought… I thought Zoro would like them," Luffy mumbled, unusually shy. "It's kind of like me and Sanji and Nami, ne? See?"

Luffy pointed to each earring respectively. They were simple, really. Plain gold, tear drop earrings, but with a smooth and bold look, not feminine at all. Zoro's lips twitched before he broke into a full smile. Luffy really did know him so well, and what was a piercing or three? They were nothing! Usopp could probably do it for him, if he asked nicely.

The small group continued to enjoy their day, and a little later, Usopp and dropped by to wish Zoro a happy birthday and drop off a small gift in the form of a midnight green bandana. Again, it was only a plain piece of cloth, but Zoro decided he preferred it that way. It didn't make him stand out so much. Usopp, who had been phoned by Nami earlier, also offered to pierce Zoro's ears for him and after a couple minutes, the green haired teen had three studs sitting in his left ear. He was a little annoyed that he couldn't wear his nice birthday earrings right away, but Usopp had said to wait until he said he could take them out, so he would.

The day carried on with a small party. Usopp could only stay for an hour, but the small family had enjoyed the day, making a fuss of Zoro. Before bed that night, Zoro had gone into the bathroom, locking the door and trying on his new bandana. It took a couple of attempts to get it on right, but when he did, he had to say, he liked the result. It covered almost all of his bright green hair and gave him an almost dangerous look. It made him look, dare he say it, cool!

Smirking to himself, Zoro pulled it off. If he looked that good with the bandana in fleecy green sword pajamas (a gift courtesy of Chopper), then just imagine how he'd look with his normal clothes!

Oh yeah, birthdays were good!

**Clarobell: As Plushie said up there, the next couple chapters are allllmost done. Last chapter, after our long gap, our reviews compared to previous chapters were pretty low. A good review really does inspire you know, so take the time to let us know what you thought. If we think people have lost interest, in the end up, we'll lose interest. So, thanks for those who reviewed last chapter! –huggles Nakamaman plushie-**

**Plushie: NAA! Nakamaman belongs to Clarobell, The Marimo belongs to me! Dun' steal em, or we come and hug you to death! x3 They're from an rp of ours, dudes and dudettes, that's their background. shi shi shiiiiiiREVIEW! B -huggles The Marimo plushie and pits it against Nakamaman- **


	33. How Time Flies

**Clarobell: I know this one seems a little rushed, guys, but believe me, it's necessary, unless you want to linger with endless fluff for months on end. Myself and Plushie are working hard to get chapters out again, and so hopefully things will get a little more regular, depending on how our lives go, of course!**

**Plushie: Don't worry guys, it shouldn't be much longer before you get back to the angst. This is a build-up, definitely. Don't give up on us now, eh? We never fail to dissapoint... at least... I hope we don't. Oo **

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­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

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Chapter 33: How Time Flies

December had rolled around quickly for Nami and Sanji. Luffy was thriving in his studies and seemed to love reading and was even making shaky attempts at writing. The dark haired boy left all the mathematics to Zoro though, who would often sit with Nami whilst she did stock takes for the restaurant or jotted down the takings. Luffy for his part, preferred to curl up with a good story. He could still only read toddlers books, but that was enough for the boy's imagination to run away with.

Christmas rolled around just as quickly as December had, and it had been a time of both wonder and confusion. Last year's Christmas hadn't really been a big deal for Zoro. Nami and Sanji had given him a gift, but he had been too afraid to even care at the time, focusing more on just trying to keep out of their way. This year though, Sanji had gone all out. There was a giant Christmas tree decked up in the living room coated with gold and silver tinsel along with all other colours of beads and decorations. Nami had had Luffy and Zoro help out, wanting to include them more. A selection of both small and large gifts lined the floor under the tree, sparking curiosity in both the boys. Whereas Zoro was wary though, Luffy didn't hesitate to prod and pry. It was only when he attempted to unwrap the gift that Nami had gently scolded him and the boy quickly went back to his innocent inspection.

Zoro had accompanied Sanji whilst the chef had done his shopping for Nami and Luffy with Nami whilst she did hers for her boyfriend. They had both decided that this year, they would simply let the two boys enjoy receiving gifts rather than giving them, and next year they could introduce that aspect.

By the time Christmas morning arrived, Luffy was bubbling over with excitement, tossing and turning in bed until he'd been unable to sleep any longer. He'd bustled quietly from room to room when it had become too much, gently attempting to wake its occupants but failing every time until Zoro finally yawned and agreed to get up as well. Finally the house arose, its occupants shuffling down the stairs after Luffy, who had run up and down the steps 4 times in the time it had taken the small group to wander down. Zoro's attention soon quirked as he spotted the gifts again though and he moved to sit on the floor by the sofa, watching them intently as Luffy grabbed all his arms could carry, handing out the colourful boxes and watching in awe as Nami and Sanji tore the paper away before copying them. Zoro seemed a little more cautious, carefully tugging at the bright paper until his gift was revealed.

Luffy squealed over the plush toys he'd received, having torn open three gifts to Zoro's one. Toys were Luffy's main gifts. Plush ones mainly, and at least five or six new little books that were a little more advanced than a toddlers, but the boy was willing and ready to read these ones. Zoro's gifts were things like puzzles, a few new video games, things for him to test his mind against, which he seemed to like doing most at the moment. The rubix cube was by far the best thing according to the green haired teen, who seemed to, like Luffy, enjoy things that weren't quite as extravagant and sparkly. Sanji had gotten Nami an expensive new fake-fur coat that she'd absolutely adored the moment she'd laid eyes on it, while the ginger haired woman had gotten her boyfriend aand a short wink, along with a whispered promise.

Upon returning to his room, Luffy also discovered a closet full of new, brightly coloured clothes and bed full of squishy pillows. Obviously either Nami or Sanji had crept away to dump the gifts while he wasn't there. Zoro had hesitantly moved to his own room, marvelling at the new games console sitting beside his brand new, albeit small, TV. He didn't care though. He could play games – in his room! How cool was that??

All in all, Sanji and Nami had gone all out to make the Christmas as special as it could possible be for their boys. By the time Christmas day was coming to an end, with their stomach full of turkey and their minds and peace, the small family sat down to chat together until the boy's dropped off to sleep.

With Christmas over, the time seemed to fly away. Their New Year's party was small, but lively. Sanji pulled a cringing Zoro up to teach him how to dance while Luffy just made his own way, flailing his arms and legs in an attempt that made it appear as if he was trying to swim vertically _out_ of water. Nami had nearly died of laughter when Zoro had attempted to escape from Sanji, and Luffy had nearly knocked the poor guy out with a flailing fist. At least Sanji had managed to catch him again. They had sung together, with Luffy coaxing Zoro to join him. The green haired teen had been reluctant, but after realising no matter how loud he sang, Luffy's off-key voice would _still_ drown him out, happily complied. The funniest thing of the night was probably the fact that Luffy didn't actually know the songs they were singing, and so simply replaced the words with things he thought appropriate. Nami had to admit, she could really see 'Deck the halls with legs of lamb' being a number one this year. Amazingly, the two people left standing when the sunrise came around the next day, were Zoro and Luffy. Nami and Sanji had informed them that if they made a wish at the same time the sun came up, and if they wished hard enough, then it would come true. They'd told them not to tell anyone their wish (more Luffy than Zoro, who existed on keeping things to himself) and amazingly, they'd understood without a problem.

By the time February rolled around, Zoro noticed a change in Sanji. The blonde was… suspicious; seemed nervous. As the days passed by, he also noticed Nami's behaviour change. She accepted the chef's affection more, even returned it just as eagerly. It was seriously freaking him out! Luffy for his part, seemed totally oblivious. Zoro often wondered how relaxed that kid's mind must be sometimes, not knowing so many things happening around him. On one particular day, the affection hit its peak as Zoro ended up wandering in on the two making out in the kitchen. He'd hidden with Luffy in his room for the rest of the morning, struggling to drain the colour rising constantly in his cheeks.

Usopp had arrived shortly after to watch the boys as Nami and Sanji fairly scrambled out the door. The sharpshooter had disclosed the much needed information to them that today was 'Valentines day'. With a brief explanation and a few childish 'eww's, the playing commenced, and all that lovey-dovey stuff was forgotten about. Sanji and Nami ended up staying out all night, but when they returned the next morning, it was as if somebody had waved a magic want and switched their personalities back to normal. Sanji had attempted a kiss with a little more enthusiasm than normal at breakfast and Nami had promptly bopped him one. Zoro couldn't help but smirk, but he hid it easily behind his food.

Easter was the next big event for the boys, and upon hearing what 'traditions' this holiday held, Luffy was practically vibrating with excitement, bustling around the house at break-neck speed trying to get all of his chores out of the way before he could receive his _Easter egg. _There had been a slight confusion at first, where a discussion between Zoro and Luffy in their bedrooms had led to the two believing that chocolate chicks would hatch from their Easter eggs, but after a brief explanation and some blushing faces, the two were eagerly awaiting their chocolate gift.

By the time Sanji awoke, the house was spotless and breakfast was ready for Nami and him. He did note, however, that there seemed to be a lacking breakfast here and there with Luffy and Zoro's names on them. Sanji had been shocked to say the least when both had outright refused breakfast until they got their Easter eggs. After a quick word with Nami (the boss of the house), they decided to let the boy's away with not having breakfast, just this once. What a mistake that was.

Along with some messy faces and hands that had quickly been cleaned up, Nami and Sanji discussed their amusement at their boys' still childish behaviour. It had started with a thump and a squeal that sounded like Luffy... but turned out to be Zoro. Upon investigating, Nami and Sanji had been completely confused when there had been only a sleepy Luffy sitting beside the bathtub in the bathroom. Nami had gone in to see what was wrong, only to be told to 'go away' when she tried to move him. Sanji was off 'Marimo hunting'. He'd soon returned to Nami with a nervous laugh and a slightly panicked attitude though, telling her that currently, Zoro was on the roof and refused to come down, giggling like a loon and turning circles like a hyper puppy. He'd crashed about an hour later, much to the relief of both Nami and Sanji and a very grumpy Luffy who had chosen a few rather grouchy things to say when Zoro had attempted to get him to play.

As odd as it seemed, too much chocolate sent Zoro hyper to the point of craziness and made Luffy lax and placid, grumpy when disturbed. It was amazing the number of new things they found out each passing day with Zoro and Luffy.

Before Nami knew it, she had reached her six month mark of pregnancy and was, in the 'oh so graceful' words of a certain Marimo, a walking blimp. She idly wondered if he even knew what a blimp was or if he was just copying something he'd heard on TV. She'd also started to wonder other things.

Over the past months, Luffy and Zoro had become as inseparable as Nami and money. Luffy would pet Zoro's hair while watching TV, only to have Zoro pull him into his lap for a cuddle when the two started to get sleepy. They were falling asleep together a lot lately too, talking quietly in their shared bed about who knew what, soft whispers murmuring through the house until one, or both fell asleep. It was sweet, and Nami had a feeling that the two were very, very slowly, and unwittingly growing closer than friends should. They were both damaged people, hurt and confused about so many things, but in finding each other, they'd found a way to recover.

She'd subtly asked questions to both of them; silly, little questions. Though she wasn't 100 sure, she had a feeling Luffy was starting to understand and accept his feelings for Zoro. With his current mindset, it was obvious he couldn't fully grasp the meaning of 'love' or what a real relationship would be like, but as things stood, she believed he knew that his feelings for Zoro were stronger than what normal friends would feel. He was cuddlier than usual, had even tried to give Zoro a peck on the cheek now and again, which was always funny to watch. It was cute, Nami thought, to watch the two grow and start to discover the world and understand it. And as she told Sanji one night, it really was exactly like having a child. They would go through the same experiences with their child, though the chef promptly announced he hoped that it would be easier in terms of no panic attacks, or avoiding circumstances that should be completely natural. E.g. shopping.

Zoro's contact issues seemed to evaporate with the passing days, and pretty soon, it wasn't an unusual sight for Nami or Sanji to wander past either of the boy's rooms and find them snuggled up together, fast asleep. Both were still having trouble keeping good hours of wake and sleep, but were much better than they used to be. Things really were looking up for the better and life was adopting a nice routine for the little family. For a while at least.

Come the first of May, Luffy's behaviour changed noticeably. He started to revert back to his old ways, and becoming timid all over again. Nobody could understand it. It didn't take Nami long to figure out what was wrong though. During breakfast on the second of May, she and Luffy were eating alone. Sanji had gone to do a routine inspection of the restaurant and Zoro was, for once, sleeping in. The red head noticed the quiet boys lingering gaze on the large calendar hanging on the wall. It suddenly dawned on her that she hadn't actually taught Luffy anything about days of the week or the passage of time yet. Shuffling closer to him, she smiled softly.

"Ne, Luffy?"

The thoughtful boy jumped a little, startled by Nami's soft voice. Slowly he blinked at her, though couldn't help as his gaze wandered back to the calendar.

"Him?" he noised.

"Do you know what the date is?"

Luffy frowned thoughtfully before shaking his head. He could read the numbers now, but he didn't know what the other things meant.

"It's called a calendar," Nami explained. "It reminds us what the day is and where we are in the month and year. You remember we talked a little about time?"

The dark haired boy nodded gently, still staring fixedly on the tabled paper hanging on the wall.

"I've seen one before." He admitted softly, "Gramps used to have one."

"Is that so?" the red head replied, blinking in wonder. Maybe this would be a little easier than she thought.

"Yeah," Luffy whispered, bowing his head submissively as his hand wrung nervously on the table top. "The bad day's coming…"

"The… bad day?" Nami repeated, obviously confused. "What bad day?"

Slowly Luffy stood, creeping cautiously closer to the calendar, watching it warily as though it would bite him. Stretching out an arm, he pointed to a date.

"May 5th," Nami muttered before glancing to Luffy. "What's bad about that day?"

"It's the day I was born." Luffy admitted miserably.

Nami's eyes widened and she quickly raised a hand to her mouth. Did she just hear him right? His birthday?? So close too! She hadn't even thought to ask him! But why would that be bad? Inwardly, she had a feeling she wasn't going to like this.

"Luffy, sweetheart," she cooed, making sure to use her sweetest voice to keep him at ease. "Why is that a bad day?"

"Grandpa doesn't like that day. He said… he said I shouldn't have been born because I ruined everything. He said I'm a murderer and a bastard child that doesn't deserve the air I breathe." Luffy took a shaky breath before continuing, eyes still fixed on the numbers on the calendar. "Grandpa used to hit me a lot on the bad day. One for every year I'm alive, and one for bad luck."

"Luffy…" Nami whispered, voice laced with horror. "Oh, Luffy…"

The dark haired boy fidgeted nervously. Would Nami and Sanji hurt him on the bad day? Would Zoro?

"Luffy," Sanji's voice sounded from the doorway, calm and collected. "That's not called a bad day. It's called a birthday."

"A birthday?" the boy questioned, eyes darting around unsurely. "Like Zoro's?"

"That's right," the chef continued. "It's a celebration of the day you were born. Your Grandpa did another bad thing, Luffy. He shouldn't have hurt you like that."

"But… I did bad things when I was born!" Luffy whined. "Really, really bad things!! Grandpa said so!"

"Like what?" Sanji asked curiously.

"I… I don't know…" Luffy admitted.

"You see?" Sanji whispered, moving to sit beside the fretting boy. Gently, he wrapped an arm around Luffy's thin frame. "Your Gramps was a mean, mean man, Luffy. You know that now, huh?"

"I know… but…"

"He lied." The blonde continued bluntly. "Nami-san and I are _very _happy you were born. Zoro is too, I bet. Maybe you should go ask him, ne?"

Slowly, Luffy nodded. He hoped Zoro would say yes. Zoro could make most things feel better. Even the really, _really_ bad things – like nightmares, and _shots!_ Creeping out of the room, Luffy threw Sanji and Nami one last wary glance, shifting between his two guardians and the calendar before returning their reassuring smiles with a weak one of his own and slipping out the door.

Nami sighed softly, smiling sadly at Sanji before standing and grabbing a pen from the fruit bowl. Strutting past the blond, she ran her slim fingers through his hair, causing him to hum in pleasure before the red head withdrew again, moving over to the calendar. Raising the pen to the paper, she scrawled a thick love heart around the date of Luffy's birthday. They'd make sure this birthday would be one to remember for _good_ reasons.

When Luffy found Zoro, the teen was playing the playstation in the lounge. The elder teen was propped against some cushions and wrapped up in a thick duvet (courtesy of Nami), cocooned in a fluffy prison of warmth. Luffy blinked apprehensively at Zoro.

"Zoro… marshmallow?" he whispered to himself, softly.

The older boy blinked sleepy eyes, dragging them away from the screen as he heard the soft voice, before pausing his game and shuffling around for a few seconds, obviously having a little difficulty with the massive mounds of duvet currently wrapped around him. Finally, a tanned arm emerged, lifting an edge of the material with it, before his free hand patted against his lap.

Zoro was, by far, not the best person to come to concerning matters of emotion. He shied away and often had trouble processing his own feelings. When it came to Luffy though, everything changed. He could read the boy like an equation, scanning the surface to find the answer to the problem. Right now, though he didn't know what it was, he knew something had upset his younger friend to the point where he wouldn't openly approach him. He also knew that nothing better would cure the problem than a hug, and over the past months, the green haired teen had learned to love hugs from a certain little cat-boy.

Luffy hesitantly crept closer, crouching to the floor as he reached Zoro and crawling the rest of the way, laying his upper body against Zoro's lap. Zoro shifted a little, moving Luffy slightly until the boys head was resting in the crook of his left arm, his upper body across his lap and his lower body curled against his side. Making sure the younger boy was comfortable, he quickly wrapped them back up in his squishy duvet before speaking.

"What's up?" he asked, softly.

"I… Nami and Sanji said I should ask Zoro…"

"Ask Zoro what?"

Luffy hesitated, shifting uncomfortably for a few seconds before falling still again, wide, almost frightened chocolate eyes fixing on Zoro's.

"Is… is Zoro glad I was born?"

"…eh?" the older teen noised, blinking in shock, he hadn't expected anything like that at all. Clearing his throat slightly, his brow knit in thought. "Well, yeah… of course I am… I think. I mean, if you weren't born, you wouldn't be here, now, eh?"

"Gramps said it was bad I was born."

Zoro couldn't help the frown sliding onto his face as he pulled Luffy closer, giving him a reassuring squeeze.

"Your gramps was wrong, Luffy." He whispered, running a hand through his friend's hair. "You're very, _very_ special to me, and I don't know what I'd be without you..."

Luffy swallowed back the lump in his throat from Zoro's words, eyes shining with tears as a small smile crept onto his face.

"T-Thanks, Zoro."

"No problem," the green haired teen muttered, blushing at his own words. "Just, try not to listen to what Gramps said any more, okay?"

"'Kay."

Zoro let out a soft sigh, rubbing absently at the back of Luffy's neck, and before long, the younger boy's body started to relax again, shifting into a different position before slowly slipping to sleep. The two stayed like that for the remainder of the day until dinner time, when Sanji called them down for a special 'fun' dinner, where all the vegetables, and even the meat, had been sliced into flowers and animal shapes. Luffy had been so impressed that all hesitance had completely vanished, and he quickly dug in, making sure to thank Sanji, just as they taught him to.

The next days raced past, and for all appearances, it seemed as if Luffy had totally forgotten about his upcoming birthday. Nami and Sanji had made quick preparations with a small chocolate cake and a couple of gifts. They didn't want to make too big a fuss, as that would only confuse Luffy. Though the boy didn't seem too smart at the moment, he was always watching and analyzing situations around him, learning from them and adapting his behaviour. It really was interesting to watch, and Nami often made notes in Luffy's red book concerning his behaviour development. It was a kind of monkey see, monkey do action. Her goal was to get Luffy to behave more independently and not to try and copy what everybody else was doing, but for now, the kid was doing just fine.

By the time the sun set on the fourth of May, Luffy seemed a little jittery again. He struggled to stay awake, head nodding and eyelids sagging, snuggled up beside Zoro, watching TV. The battle however, was already lost before it started, and just after eleven, Luffy's soft snoring picked up. Zoro smirked a little, having expected Luffy to fall asleep much sooner. It showed a new stubborn streak, that he had to admit, he liked to see in his friend.

Gently scooping Luffy up, Zoro lifted him bridal style, nodding his goodnight to Sanji and Nami before heading to the stairs. Come two days time, he'd be back to his usual, broody self, but when Luffy needed him to be strong, he seemed to have a power to tap into strength and bravery he never knew existed. The catch was, he could only do it for Luffy.

Stepping into the room, Zoro moved over to Luffy's bed and set him down, tucking him in and unbuttoning his vest so that he could move comfortable in the night. Double checking that everything was in order, the green haired teen nodded in satisfaction and moved out of the room, heading to his own bed.

Hours passed and the house fell silent as its owners, too, went to bed. Around two in the morning, a gentle stirring was heard, followed by the very soft padding of bare feet against the ground. Luffy uncertainly crept down the hallway and into Zoro's bedroom. His older friend was sound asleep, from the looks of it, and he really didn't want to disturb him… but… he had a bad dream. Creeping closer, Luffy hesitantly crawled onto the bed, and settled beside Zoro soundlessly. Slowly, feeling safe and content, he slipped back to sleep.

Morning found Luffy asleep against Zoro's chest, his arms wound tightly around the older teen's waist, while Zoro's arms were casually draped over him. Sanji, who had been on his way to wake Zoro up, paused at the door and smiled. He had a tray in his hands and Nami was peeking out from behind him.

"Psst, Zoro… hey, Zoro!" Sanji hissed, and he clearly saw Zoro's eyes snap open immediately. Luffy moaned a little, but didn't move and Zoro's eyes trailed from Sanji to Luffy and he grinned. At least he didn't have to go anywhere. Sanji crept into the room, the tray still in his hands. It was Luffy's seventeenth birthday.

Moving into the room, Sanji crouched beside the bed, setting the tray on the bedside cabinet, before reaching out a hand to gently shake the slumbering birthday boy.

"Hey, Luffy," he called. Luffy sighed and tightened his grip on Zoro, nuzzling into the older teen's chest. Nami smiled at this and Zoro smirked and nudged Luffy gently.

"Wake up," he said, trying to push Luffy awake and a little off of him. He was quickly getting used to all these hugs, but if Luffy squeezed much more, he'd probably have his air supply cut off.

"Nnn…" Luffy moaned before snoring softly. Sanji smirked as he leant in.

"Break-fast." he called in a lilting voice. Luffy blinked awake at that, looking around sleepily.

"Naa?" he asked and then yawned widely, "Breakfast?" Zoro smirked at that. Luffy would _always _wake up for food.

"Yep!" he replied, and glanced at Nami and Sanji. Luffy blinked for a moment before Zoro, Nami and Sanji all grinned widely.

"Happy Birthday, Luffy!" they called in unison, and for the first time, Zoro's voice was louder than Nami and Sanji's. Both of them grinned at him, but then blinked when Luffy squeaked at the unexpected noise, and latched onto Zoro all the tighter, burying his face in the older teen's chest. That was a rare and strange reaction to say the least, but Luffy was feeling a little timid today. After all, his Gramps had beaten the hell out of him on this day. He clenched his eyes closed as he remembered the sixteen hits and the broken nose from last year.

"Hey…" Zoro said in a soft tone, reaching up a hand and laying it on Luffy's head, "Birthdays aren't bad. Don't worry." and he grinned as Luffy opened his eyes and peeked up at him, "They're a good thing. Trust me." Luffy tilted his head a little, relaxing his hold slightly. Zoro was grateful nothing bad had ever happened on his birthday. Alvida hadn't put any extra effort into torturing them. It was a daily thing. The only time his birthday had been 'celebrated' was when he had turned 18 and been kicked out of the orphanage. Zoro shuddered at the memory. He couldn't hate that day though. He'd been kicked out, and he'd met Nami and Sanji. For that, he was entirely grateful.

"I-I know… Nami told me, but Gramps always…" and he paused for a moment and smiled, "But you're not Gramps!" and he hugged Zoro all the tighter. Nami almost squealed in delight, and Sanji beamed. It was the first time that Luffy had ever said anything like that. Not to mention Zoro was beginning to feel like an oversized plushie. He was getting hugged so much of late. Blinking, he smiled.

"Nope!" he replied proudly, "So, you wanna let go so you can have something to eat?"

Luffy shook his head, sniggering the whole time. He had a plan.

"Nope." he answered, and giggled. Zoro blinked and then sighed heavily. Yeah, he was past _beginning_ to feel like an oversized plushie… he was pretty sure now that he'd _become _one. Nami had to hide her smirk behind a hand.

"Zoro can feed me, while I hug him!" Luffy cried, as though it was a massive treat for both of them, and his eyes sparkled with happiness. Nami burst into a fit of giggles, and Sanji snorted. Zoro didn't find it funny though.

"No way, get your own food." and he struggled in Luffy's grip, but the boy held tight and soon Zoro had to stop moving otherwise they both would have fallen out of the bed and landed on the floor. Luffy whined once Zoro had stilled and looked up at him with the _biggest_ and _wateriest_ eyes yet to be seen. Even Zoro couldn't pull off a look like that, and he'd had a lot of practice.

But, little did Zoro know, Sanji had been secretly coaching Luffy on how to get Zoro to do what he wanted, and that had been one of the few little tricks that the blonde teen had taught him. After all, Sanji had learned all of Zoro's 'cute' tricks, and he was damn sure that Luffy with his already cute face, and puppy dog pout, would be able to pull it off easily. And Zoro was already unable to say 'no' to Luffy as it was.

"Please Zoro? It IS my birthday…" and he trailed off, making his bottom lip quiver ever so slightly. Sanji grinned widely as he saw Zoro crack. Simple.

"That's my boy!" he congratulated and Zoro sent a glare at the blonde before letting out a loud sigh. He was outnumbered, out-big eyed, and out-pouted. Basically, he was out of luck. He made sure to give the biggest eye roll he could muster before conceding to Luffy's wishes.

"Fine, whatever." he muttered.

Luffy almost squealed in happiness and opened his mouth, waiting for Zoro to feed him. Nami was still giggling crazily before she whipped out a camera, and before anyone knew what had happened, she'd taken a photo and replaced the camera in her pocket. Zoro let out a long, suffering sigh before smirking and taking the plate from Sanji, cutting up the food and then feeding a forkful to Luffy, wondering the whole time how he'd gotten himself into this.

Luffy chewed, giggling before he swallowed and thanked Sanji, before turning back to Zoro for more. It was very apparent, that over the last months, where Luffy's confidence had skyrocketed, Zoro's had followed. Both of them were more willing to do or say what they wanted without being ashamed. Though when it came to being over the moon about simple things, that was Luffy's forte, whereas Zoro would still linger in the background, not wanting to be any part of it.

Where Luffy was recovering fairly quickly, Zoro was still lagging. Nami and Sanji had no doubt that the two of them were certainly well on their way to recovery though. Once all the food was gone, Zoro handed the plate back to Sanji, who smirked at him and stood up.

"There, you happy now?" Zoro asked, looking down at Luffy and smirking as well. Luffy nodded, burying his face into Zoro's chest again. The older teen really was warm, and so snugly. Luffy was glad he had found him.

"This is the best birthday ever!" he announced, smiling. Zoro smiled in response, proud of making his friend happy and rested a hand on Luffy's back.

"Sure, kid…"

"Now, up!" Nami cried, grinning widely. Luffy blinked up at her.

"Naa? Where're we going?" he asked, confused. Nami winked cheekily.

"You'll see." she replied and Luffy tilted his head before grinning. Zoro was confused. He thought they were going to be having a party at home. They were taking them somewhere? Great… another chance for him to embarrass himself. His gaze fell slightly before coming to Luffy's face and he smiled again. He wouldn't panic this time. He was determined not to! He _would _make this the best birthday Luffy had ever had. For him.

"I like surprises!" Luffy grinned, as he jumped from the bed and headed for the door before running back and giving Zoro one last hug and then running to get ready.

"I got dibs on the shooooweeeer!" he called as he bolted out the door. Zoro sighed, a little annoyed but not saying anything.

"Whatever…" and Zoro crawled out of the bed to see Nami smirking widely at him. He blinked back at her, searched himself and noticed nothing was out of place before looking back, "What?" he asked, confused. Nami shrugged.

"Nothing..." and she walked out, Sanji laughing as he followed. Zoro scratched his head, totally lost before he began gathering together the clothes he was going to wear that day. Nami and Sanji moved down the stairs and into the kitchen to chat whilst Sanji washed the plate Luffy had used.

"I was worried for a while, when I saw how much he depended on Zoro," Sanji admitted. "I thought he's reached his peak and wouldn't develop any more, but the longer they're together, the more he seems to understand." Sanji muttered, flicking soap suds from his hands. Nami nodded in understanding.

"So long as they're happy." Nami stated bluntly. "That's all that matters."

Sanji nodded, drying the plate and then laughing as he put it away and heard Zoro banging on the shower door upstairs. Nami started laughing when she heard Luffy respond with 'Nya Nya!'.

"If you're not ready soon, we're going without you!" Sanji called, smirking.

"And Zoro'll have to go in his pyjamas!" Nami added.

"Like hell!" Zoro replied and Luffy laughed loudly. Yeah, the last months had been good, the best that Nami and Sanji could remember.

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**Clarobell: Thanks very much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Hope you enjoyed this one. We're still in the fluff stage here, but remember, the calm before the storm, my friends. A nice long chapter for you again, so reviews are muchly appreciated.**

**Plushie: I like the imagery of Zoro at the circus in his pj's. -evil snicker- reviews please! And thank you for reviewing so far! We didn't think when we started it, that many people would actually like it. It's amazing to see the response we've gotten. Thank you again. **


	34. A Day Out

**Clarobell: Well, here's chapter 34! Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter. Let the angst begin! Oh, and if you're good little bunnies, we'll let you have another chapter on Tuesday, BUT, that's only if we get a nice review flood. 'update soon' does not count as a review, either, because those kind of reviews are just annoying. We just updated, why should we update soon, y'know?**

**Plushie: It's a little disheartening, you know? We want to hear what you liked, and so on and so forth. Btw, i didn't give anything away in the last chapter, actually. You have no clue what's going to happen, so don't start sqealing to me about it. XP nyeh nyeh! **

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--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

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Chapter 34: A Day Out

Luffy scuttled excitedly around the circus grounds, grinning from ear to ear and practically bursting with happiness. As it turned out, Nami and Sanji had surprised Luffy by getting a four person day pass to the circus. They already knew how fond the younger boy was of Usopp and Chopper, and when they'd revealed their mystery location in the car, Zoro had seemed fine with it and said he could handle the crowds. It was music to Sanji's ears to hear those words coming from Zoro, and he smirked proudly. By the time they arrived, the circus was just starting to pick up. Unlike the last time Zoro and Luffy had visited, it was now a weekend, meaning that there were a _lot_ more people around. The crowds grew quickly and by now, the circus was bustling with life and attractions.

As excited as Luffy was, he never once strayed far from Zoro, always turning to check on his friend and make sure he was ok, running back to glomp his arm for a few seconds before once again bounding away.

Zoro, though much more confident than the last time he'd been here, was still keeping his head bent, not wishing to look around too much. He was staying close behind Nami and Sanji, his eyes fixed on Sanji's heels so he wouldn't get lost. As the group slinked their way through the numerous people, Sanji took a stronger lead, calling out for Zoro and Luffy to stick close as he led his small group around the back of the tent where there was a round table set up.

On top of the table sat a large chocolate cake, brimming with icing, and even oozing a little cream filling. Usopp wasn't the best cook, but Sanji had been too busy with simply preparing things, and hadn't wanted to give away their surprise by letting on he was baking a birthday cake. Luffy didn't seem to care though as he flailed around the cake, practically squealing, hopping from foot to foot.

Nami gently tugged him into his seat, smiling widely herself as he bounced on the cushion under his bum, unable to contain his happiness or excitement. The rest of the group had quickly taken their seats and the entertainment began; a private play from Usopp and Chopper. It wasn't as if the group hadn't seen one of these before, but they were still fun to watch. Luffy, for all his happiness, actually started purring, which only caused more hilarity among the small group.

By the time everybody was finished with their cake, Usopp had to go and bidding the group a short farewell, ushered them along before disappearing into the tent. Zoro, by now, had started to get a little more nervous, and was sticking closer to Luffy, his hands stuffed in his pockets. The younger boy, stuffed full of chocolate cake, seemed to have calmed substantially. Zoro had known only to eat a little of the cake though. After all, hyper, nervous and big crowds didn't mix too well.

"Can we go on the rides?" Luffy asked suddenly.

Nami nodded and smiled softly, turning to Sanji with a wide smirk. She'd made a bet with him the night before about that. Sanji blinked and then smiled a little sheepishly, patting his pockets and announcing that he didn't have any money on him at the moment. They were here on a day pass after all, and though he had his credit cards with him, he doubted they could use it here. Rolling her eyes, Nami turned back to Luffy again.

"Sure." she responded, and then blinked at the apprehensive look that crossed Zoro's face. There were crowds over there… lots, and lots of people. And those big, fast rides looked pretty intimidating. Luffy noticed and he pouted a little before smiling.

"Don't worry Zoro - I'll protect you, I promise!" he said, nudging the older teen just a little. Zoro still looked apprehensive, but he smiled a little nervously.

"Thanks…" he replied before he found he was being propelled forward, Luffy's hand holding tightly onto his as he brought them closer to the… teacup ride.

"Watch the crowds." Sanji instructed as he followed behind. Luffy grinned over his shoulder at Sanji, nodding.

By the time Luffy had had enough fun on the rides, one of the first attractions in the main tent was beginning. Curiosity kicking in, Luffy had headed over, Zoro's hand still held tightly in his, leading the reluctant teen with him, and reassuring him with a soft grin or a confident hug. He'd look after Zoro.

"Nami! Zoro! Sanji! Look! It's Usopp! It's Usopp!" he cried, as though the long nosed boy was the biggest super star in the world. Usopp probably wouldn't have disagreed. Moving to run over, Zoro clamped Luffy back to his side again, his eyes a little wide.

"Naa?" Luffy asked, confused. He wanted to go and see Usopp! And Chopper! Zoro didn't quite get how one kid could be so excited about seeing the same people again, that he'd only seen a mere hour or so ago. ... Though, being around Usopp and Chopper was pretty fun, he couldn't disagree with that.

"Usopp has to get ready for the show, Luffy." Zoro explained a little stiffly. Though Luffy was the one clinging to him, he was finding that the boy was the only thing keeping him from panicking. If he lost Luffy, he was sure he would lose control. There were so many people, and the memory of the first time he'd come here with Luffy and ran into Alvida after so long. The older teen felt a lump rise in his throat as phantom fingers gripped at his wrist. A shiver ran down the lime haired teen's spine and he shuddered softly. Luffy blinked, feeling the hand around his wrist shake slightly.

"Zoro's right, Luffy," Nami added, nodding "You can't interrupt him right now." She wasn't quite sure who she was protecting more. Usopp, Zoro or Luffy. Luffy pouted a little.

"Oh…" and then he brightened, "See you laaater, Usoooooppp!" and the knife thrower started, the blades he'd been juggling falling towards him as he leapt backwards out of the way and blinked around, wondering who'd distracted him. Zoro sighed, shaking his head while Nami chuckled lightly and Sanji winced as one of those blades barely missed the juggler's long nose. Unseen by the little group as they walked away, Usopp collapsed to the ground in a dead faint and Chopper started running around the performer frantically. The crowd around them laughed, thinking it was all part of the act.

Luffy looked around in wonder as Zoro bowed his head once again, trying to keep himself focused on Sanji's heels. If he did that, then he would be able to make it into the quiet of the tent and then he would be fine. Looking up at Zoro, Luffy grinned.

"This was the first place you ever took me, Zoro!" he said, announcing it happily. Sanji turned and ruffled Luffy's hair, walking backwards for a few steps.

"It was because of this place that we got you, kid." he added before turning to face the road ahead again and Luffy grinned while Zoro smiled and nodded, still keeping his head bowed.

"Oi... Luffy?" the older teen muttered, while Nami and Sanji conversed with each other about getting some form of pet. A puppy or something. Nami was flat against it, and Sanji was arguing his case fairly well, but the ginger haired woman replied in a tone that made the blonde instantly know he was pushing it a little. He then sulked for all of five minutes while Nami smirked, and then wrapped an arm around the chef, telling him quite plainly, 'There's no way you're getting a puppy, _darling_.' in that smug way of hers. The sulking had cut off instantly.

"Yeah?" Luffy replied, looking up at his friend and grinning widely. No wonder birthdays were so cool! He was having the time of his life! Could he have a Zoro, Nami and Sanji style birthday every day?

"...Happy Birthday." he smiled, looking up and offering a nervous grin. Blinking a little, Luffy smiled again, his cheeks turning a light pink before he glomped Zoro's arm so hard that he knocked the teen into Sanji, who squealed like the girl he was and then the whole group went down into a tangle of arms, legs, and other random appendages. They all blinked, before Luffy (who was on top) burst into full on laughter, Nami quickly following him (she was on top too) while the two oldest teens of the group muttered about overzealous brats and their glomping habits from the bottom of the little human mountain.

--

Luffy and Zoro went on many of the rides, having a great time, until Sanji had told them that a) they both looked ready to pass out from exhaustion and b) the show was about to start. There had been little protest after that, and the boys moved to catch up to Nami who had hurried ahead to get them seats. They may have gotten a day pass at the circus, but that didn't guarantee them seats in one of the more popular shows when it was this busy. Sanji dawdled a little, leading Zoro and Luffy to the stalls and winning a few competitions to impress his boys. As soon as the crowd pushing and shoving to get in cleared out, they made their way into the main tent. Nami had gotten them seats on the third row, and the sunken in main arena meant the higher you were, the better the show.

There were five rows, and Nami had figured the middle would be best. Once Sanji was settled on her right, Zoro on her left and Luffy on the end, they all turned to the arena and listened as Usopp began telling the well known story of Robin Hood. The performers began dancing around the arena, doing their own individual stunts. Luffy and Zoro had no idea what Robin Hood was, so, it made it all the more exciting for them. And then Chopper entered, wearing his pink hat and strutting while a young woman with blonde hair rode on his back. She was slight, and she was riding side saddle and she brushed her shoulder length blonde hair back as she reached a hand forward and gently scratched behind Chopper's ears.

"…Maid Marion…" Usopp said, smiling at her and the woman smiled back delicately.

"GOOOOO USOOOOPPPP!! CHOOOPPPAAAA!!" Luffy cried so loudly that Zoro nearly jumped a mile in the air. No… he _did _jump a mile in the air.

"Shhhh… You're gonna make em mess up." Zoro cautioned, frantically making quieting gestures. Luffy gasped and squished himself against Zoro, covering his mouth with a hand while watching silently. Shaking his head, Zoro turned back to the show, his eyes going almost childishly wide as he watched once again. The people performing hadn't even dropped their stride. Although he thought he saw Usopp look straight at them and quickly smile before turning away.

Sanji sighed and slipped an arm around Nami's waist, a small smile on his face as he watched the show. Luffy blinked as he saw the motion and spotted what Sanji did, and thinking that Sanji was the one to follow in this instance, slipped his own arm around Zoro's waist. He glanced up to see if Zoro noticed, but the older teen was totally focused on the show taking place before him, his eyes wide. Nami noticed Luffy's motion and she giggled slightly, nudging Sanji gently.

"Hm?" he asked, tearing his eyes away from the arena and looking down to see Luffy's arm around Zoro's waist. He locked eyes with Luffy and then gently tugged Nami down to lean on his shoulder. She complied and Luffy was stumped. Zoro was WAY to tall for him to do that with him so… Ah! And he leaned his own head on Zoro's shoulder. Once again, he glanced up to see if Zoro noticed anything but the teen was the same as last time.

Eyes wide, and focused totally on the show. Out of the four, he seemed to be the only one. Nami was busy giggling, while Sanji was smirking down at Luffy. Nami smiled and winked at Luffy as she wrapped an arm around the front of Sanji's chest, hooking it over his shoulder to link with the other hand that she'd brought up behind him, leaning her head on his shoulder and feeling quite comfortable, to say the least. Sanji was just happy that Nami was hugging him and he smiled in delight. Of course Luffy was watching, and he smiled as well, copying the move on Zoro. Finally, this seemed to knock Zoro out of his fascination with the show, and he blinked down at Luffy.

"What are you doing?" he asked curiously. He wasn't angry, just curious. Luffy hadn't done anything like this before, and he was wondering why Luffy was doing it now. It was weird.

"Um…" Luffy noised, biting his bottom lip and blushing but not removing his arms just yet. Zoro raised an eyebrow and glanced at Nami and Sanji who were intent on the show and not watching them at all, and then he turned back to Luffy (Nami bursting into silent giggles behind him), blinking down at the boy. So… Luffy was copying them? But why? Luffy had turned his attention completely focused on the show, a light blush still staining his cheeks.

Now he felt just a little silly, and Zoro was still looking at him weird! Twitching a little nervously, Luffy gulped and kept his eyes focused on Chopper, who was running around the arena, the girl having been dropped onto the ground. And now Robin Hood was entering the scene to save her from the ruthless bandits that were trying to take her away. Curiously, Robin Hood had a long nose. Zoro shrugged minimally before wrapping an arm around Luffy's waist in a loose hug, thinking that that was what friends did, but feeling a little awkward.

Sanji smiled and nudged Nami, who glanced over and blinked for a moment before smiling and stopping herself from going 'nawwwww' at the mere sight of them. She turned back to Sanji and mouthed 'cute' before turning back to the show. Luffy glanced up at Zoro, but, he was once again entirely focused on the show and with a small smile, Luffy nuzzled his head onto Zoro's shoulder and continued watching himself.

--

After the show, Luffy insisted that he wanted to see Usopp and talk to him and Chopper. The boy was so excited that he began laughing at the mere sight of the storyteller and then glomped him upon reaching them. Chopper was hopping from one foot to the other, excited at the attention, before Luffy glomped him as well, and the little reindeer began to squirm and make funny squeaking sounds. Then, Usopp introduced them to Kaya, the young girl who had been playing Maid Marion.

She, Nami and Sanji had a long talk together, while Usopp entertained Luffy, Chopper and Zoro with a story. Though Zoro, despite him being sometimes rather naïve, didn't believe a word the long nose was saying. After all, there were no such things as gigantic green flying monkeys… were there? It soon began getting late, and the temperature was taking a rather unpleasant drop, so after saying their goodbyes, the group set off towards home.

To save on fuel, and because both Sanji and Nami thought it good exercise, they had all ended up walking to the Circus. Luffy was currently bouncing from person to person excitedly, as he recounted the day's events and squealed that it was the best birthday he'd ever had. Zoro was lagging a fair bit, having not had a nap all day, and been on nearly all the rides with Luffy. He was exhausted and tired and he just wanted to sleep. His eyes were blearily focused on Sanji's heels, watching them to make sure he didn't get lost, as he had done all day.

The day had been good, really. Nami had taken a _lot_ of photos (most of which Zoro tried to avoid. but couldn't) and also, despite himself Zoro had enjoyed the rides, though the noise was a little too much. At one point, Sanji had had to go with Luffy on one so Zoro could have a break. Poor Sanji had come back looking quite ill though, as the ride had spun around and around, upside down and then down steep slopes multiple times. Skittering back to his friend, Luffy tugged on Zoro's arm excitedly.

"And, and, and, did you see me when we went down the roller coaster?" he asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he almost managed to pull Zoro over, "It went so fast! And then whoosh, and then on the teacup…!"

"Mhm…" Zoro mumbled, yawning tiredly.

Nami smiled as she watched Luffy bounce around, her arm linked with Sanji's. The blonde teen turned ahead after seeing that Luffy was staying by Zoro's side for now. His eyes narrowed and he frowned, nudging Nami as he saw a familiar figure standing on the sidewalk ahead. Nami turned and her own eyes narrowed before she turned towards an alleyway to the right. She knew this town like the back of her hand, and she knew that this alley would lead them away. Zoro closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again, shaking his head a little and trying to wake himself up. With a short look up at Zoro, Luffy snuggled against the older teen's arm and smiled up at him.

"Zoro's sleepy ne?" Luffy asked in a much softer tone. Responding with barely a nod, Zoro scratched the back of his hand over his eyes, trying to rub the sleep away. To no avail. He gave another yawn and his eyes watered. The figure Nami and Sanji had seen, turned towards them as they disappeared down the alley. A wide smirk spread across ruby lips and blue eyes narrowed dangerously. The eyes shifted slightly and focused on the green haired teen who was last to enter the alley, and the lips spread wider in a larger smirk.

"Now for some fun," a deceptively sweet voice muttered before the figure turned and followed.

Nami clearly heard the click of a shoe as it entered the end of the alley, and with a frown, she led them down another alley, and then back up another one. Sanji was totally lost, but he knew that Nami would lead them home easily. She was sure of her direction. Luffy was humming softly as he walked beside Zoro, unaware that anything was even going on while Zoro tripped on occasion, stumbling as he was half asleep. Sanji took a tight, but gentle hold of Luffy's and Zoro's hands, forcing them to keep up with Nami's quick pace.

Eventually the redhead came to a stop after a few minutes and aside from Luffy's soft humming, no sound was heard. The two 'parents' strained their hearing further, but still made out no sound. They could have asked Luffy to stop humming, but today was Luffy's birthday, and they didn't want to worry him. The alleys were quiet and Sanji smiled. Nami had done it. They were safe. Moving away from the boys, he gently looped his arm over her shoulders. Smiling, Nami put hers around Sanji's waist.

A face loomed from the shadows, eyes veiled as a wide smirk spread across her lips. No one was looking. Perfect… Reaching out a hand, long, ruby red clawed fingers, wrapped around Zoro's throat and with a jerk, he was pulled backwards, gasping for air. The hand squeezed tightly and Zoro choked, his own hands coming up to scrabble at the pressure on his windpipe. Luffy's eyes widened as Zoro was jerked away from him and he stood still, not knowing what to do or say. Having heard the gasp, Sanji spun around and glared through narrow eyes, instantly figuring what had happened.

"Let go of him, Alvida!" he yelled angrily and made to take a step forward, but Alvida raised a hand and waved a finger at him while her other hand squeezed tighter around Zoro's throat. Sanji stopped, his hands curled into fists while Nami stood beside him, an angry grimace on her own face. Finally Zoro saw who was touching him, and that made it all the worse. He began to shake violently, his eyes wide and he didn't even attempt to lash out blindly. Many, many times he had been grabbed around the throat and hauled away to a certain punishment and… Alvida was moving backwards with him! The woman's eyes widened slightly as she recognised Sanji's face.

"So it was you! _Mr Prince._ What a fool!" she called and smirked as Zoro gasped beside her, "All the better, though. It's your fault I'm not in charge anymore…" and she chuckled lightly as she turned her eyes towards Zoro, "…and I think I'll take it out on him!" Her knee snapped up and Zoro's eyes went wide as pain lanced through his spine. It was true. After planting the camera's in the orphanage, Alvida had been fired from the job, while the other carers had gone to jail for child abuse. Alvida, unfortunately, had never been caught doing anything wrong and therefore had gotten off with only a minor sentence, and had eventually been released. Zoro hadn't actually been able to talk about what had happened to him and none of the other orphans had given any evidence against Alvida. They hadn't told Zoro about Alvida's release, not wanting to worry him.

Sanji couldn't help the growl that escaped his throat. He wanted to hurt her. He'd never wanted to hurt a woman in his life, but he wanted to hurt her. From the looks of it, Nami did too. What right did she have to torment Zoro like this?? It was over and she had lost. Did she actually think she could get away with this?!

Alvida's fingernails were leaving large, red, crescent moons on his throat, but they still kept tightening. Coughing and gasping at the same time, Zoro felt his knees begin to give out and Alvida's hand tightened all the harder just to keep him in her grip. She wasn't letting him go. Not after so long of not having someone to 'play' with in the orphanage. All those kids had been fun... but they weren't nearly as fun as Zoro. She'd had him the longest, and she'd messed him up the worst and she was damn proud of it! And after losing the orphanage, she'd been kind of bored lately... and Zoro was always good fun to toy with. Who would have thought she'd have been so lucky to see him just passing by. He hadn't even run either! This really was too easy! Those shits that had gotten her locked up wouldn't lift a finger while she had Zoro like this.

Luffy's eyes narrowed dangerously and his face twisted into a snarl as he saw Zoro's eyes flash with pain and fear. Storming forward, Luffy wound his hand into Alvida's hair and yanked her head back, raising his other hand and slapping her across the face. Hard. The resulting 'crack', echoed around the alley as Nami and Sanji's eyes went wide, and Alvida winced in pain. And then Luffy raised his head, bangs covering his eyes as his lips twisted in a nasty scowl.

"Get away from him… you cock-sucking, mother fucking, retarded _**shitbag**_!" Luffy yelled and that caused Sanji, Nami and Alvida to gape in shock, their eyes wide at the sheer… vulgarity of those words, but it had the desired affect. Alvida's grip loosened and Zoro slid to the ground, curling in on himself and shuddering as he gasped in loud lungfuls of air. Growling in the back of his throat, Luffy stamped his foot at Alvida, making her jump a little, one hand gripping her cheek as she blinked in shock and horror at him. Sanji finally managed to force his legs to work again, and he hurried over to Zoro's side, Nami following behind him. Bending down, Sanji laid a hand on Zoro's shoulder and tried to ignore the resulting flinch before he shook him gently.

"Hey, Zoro, c'mon Zoro, it's Sanji. Can you hear me?" the blonde asked as he continued to shake his friend. Luffy was still growling dangerously at Alvida, and she frowned at him before taking a tentative step forward. Letting out a loud hiss, Luffy held up a fist at her. She frowned as she took that step back.

"You little brats! I'll make sure you rot and die like the little fuckers you are! Especially you two!" she screeched, pointing an accusing finger at Luffy and Zoro. With one final yell of 'bastards' she fled, running around the alley corner and into the night.

"You better run you little puke! I'll fuck you up like the scum you are!!" Luffy yelled after her, waving a fist in the air before turning to Zoro, who could barely breathe for shaking.

"Lu-" Nami began but was cut off.

"Zoro… get up! We're going!" Luffy barked, his voice and tone hard. There was no response. Zoro was totally out of it, as he shook and tried to draw breath.

"Luffy-" Sanji begun, trying to follow Nami up but once again he was cut off as Luffy reached down and grabbed Zoro by the collar and hauled the older teen to his feet where Zoro swayed dangerously, his eyes still wide and unseeing. Grimacing, Luffy smacked Zoro against the wall and stared into frightened green eyes.

"We're. Going. Snap out of it!" Luffy barked again in that harsh tone. Zoro continued to shiver for a moment before the glassiness of his eyes began to recede and his breathing came in heavy, slow gasps as he calmed. Finally, he seemed to realize it was Luffy in front of him. Nami and Sanji were staring at both of them. How...? When Sanji had tried that with Zoro, he just went berserk. Kicking and screaming and very nearly breaking Sanji's arm. But Luffy... he'd obeyed immediately.

"S-sorry Luffy-san…" he apologised in an obedient tone, bowing his head and drawing in deep breaths. Luffy blinked, all anger draining from his features, and then leaned forward, crushing Zoro in a hug.

"Silly Zoro," he muttered, "I'm not Luffy-san! I'm Luffy!" and he leaned back and took hold of Zoro's hand, which was still trembling, "Let's go home, kay? I'm sleepy…" and he moved away, Zoro stumbling a little on weak legs before he caught up and followed Luffy obediently, head bowed. Whether Luffy knew it or not, he had full control over Zoro at that moment. He could have told the older teen to step in front of a moving vehicle, and Zoro probably would have done it. But Luffy would never do a thing like that. Especially not to Zoro.

"I think… he has a few more problems than we thought…" Sanji said slowly as he turned to Nami, who gaped right back at him.

"…at least he calmed Zoro down." and she offered a tentative smile as she turned to follow. Sanji sighed and stood, following behind the two teens. Luffy apparently knew where he was going, as he turned all the right corners, so Nami left him to lead them home.

"I think we'll have to have a talk with Luffy tomorrow…" Sanji said, sticking his hands in his pockets. Nami shook her head. She wanted to do it while the memory was still fresh in Luffy's mind. It wasn't like the boy was scared... he'd just yelled nasty words and stood up for Zoro. So Nami was sure he wouldn't get upset if they talked to him.

"Zoro'll be asleep tonight because of that attack. We'll talk to Luffy then." Nami said in a firm tone.

"Right." Sanji nodded, knowing not to argue with her when she was being decisive.

**

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Clarobell: One more chapter to go, people! Get those reviews in! Remember, early chapter if you do! And no 'update soon' reviews or two/three word reviews please. They won't be counted, so nya nya!

**Plushie: And don't worry too much about waiting forever for us to get the next chapter up. it's done, people. we really have gotten to work on these chapters. **

**Clarobell: We're at 555 reviews now, people. Let's see if you readers can get us up to 600 by the end of the last chapter. We've got 25 reviews before on a chapter, so show us how much you like this fic, eh? So are you ready? Get set… GO! Hit that review button. You have two days.**


	35. Lost

**Clarobell: Well, you pretty much went above and beyond our expectations, so as promised, here is your early chapter! This is where the road ends here for the first part of DD. So, particularly to our anonymous/unsubscribed readers, this story will no longer be updated. Part two will start in a new story called Dramatic Differences 2, so look out for it, ok?**

**Plushie: It will be posted under my name so people who've watched me for the first DD, will see it, and anonymous/unsubscribed reviewers can find it on my profile page without any dramas when it gets put up, ne? Hope you enjoy it. **

**Clarobell: Also, a note to one particular reviewer, whom I wanted to reply, but was unable as email addresses don't show up in reviews. Jenn, thank you for your review, and though I understand you don't like the whole 'this many reviews or no update' thing, that wasn't what this was. It was merely a chance to make both parties happy. The chapter would have been updated regardless of reviews on Saturday, but we simply offered it earlier in exchange of a show of enthusiasm via reviews. Your points were very valid, and the plot is repetitive. I can't understand why, but or some reason, I love it too, and both myself and Plushie often get sidetracked from working on DD because we get too engrossed in reading it. Stupid, huh?? Thank you for taking the time to review anyway. Your opinions were appreciated.**_**they **_**want to review. We can't make them.**

Plushie: That's very true, we do. And I understand what you're saying about the whole 'review' thing, Jenn. But honestly, if people don't want to review, they're not going to, y'know? It's how it goes. If the plot is repetitive, then they can say that. I'm not being rude, and I do get completely where you're coming from, but reviewers will review if

Enjoy the chapter, people. extremely sorry for the long author's note. -nervous laugh-

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--_**Dramatic**__**Differences**_--

_--__**Part 1:**__**Discoveries**__--_

--_**Written by Plushie and Clarobell**_--

_**

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Chapter 35: Lost

Luffy had been the one to lead them home, thich had surprised Nami and Sanji to say the least. The boy had always chosen to follow behind them, never seemingly paying attention, and they never really ended up _walking_ to many places anyway. Living on the edge of town, to get to the big supermarkets, they either had to drive, or catch the only bus that went into town which was a 10 minute walk in itself. Had Zoro been giving Luffy indications of where to go, they would have understood. Zoro did tend to wander when they used to head to the bar for an afternoon out, and though he got lost, a _lot_, he always ended up finding his way back. Luffy however, could only have learnt the route from his travels in the car. It made them wonder how much other knowledge Luffy was hiding from them.

They reached the house in the late evening, as the sky was just starting to get dark. By that time, Zoro was so tired that he could barely see, let alone walk. Luffy assisted his older friend, letting him lean on him and leading him to the lounge room in the house. The younger teen had wanted to get Zoro straight up to bed, so that they could cuddle up and he could make Zoro feel better. Zoro never admitted it, but Luffy _knew_ his hugs made him better. Upon getting him inside though, Nami had insisted they get the scratches over Zoro's neck and arms cleaned and patched up first. Luffy reluctantly agreed, rubbing his slim fingers up and down the skin of Zoro's arm as Nami hurriedly fixed the damage. By the time she was done, Zoro was already falling asleep sitting up, swaying almost dangerously and groaning softly as the constant touches kept him awake. Finally, Luffy guided him up to bed, letting the older teen drop down onto the bed heavily, before covering him with his favourite duvet and smiling down at him.

"Get some rest okay, Zoro?" he instructed softly as he leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to his green haired friend's forehead. The older teen wrinkled his brow for a moment, confused as to why Luffy had done that, before letting out a soft sigh.

"Night, Luffy-san…" he mumbled and fell asleep instantly. Luffy smiled down at Zoro. Watching him settle, the younger teen felt a bubbling in his chest. He couldn't describe how he felt, the closest word would be one Nami used with him quite a lot - proud. He'd fulfilled his promise today in protecting Zoro from the bad lady. He'd said some bad stuff, and even hit her, but she hurt Zoro first, so that made it okay, right? Because he did it for Zoro. Nami and Sanji had seemed upset though, but why would they be? They'd always said bad things about the Alvida lady, and they even made her lose her job! They'd been really quiet on the way home, too. Were they mad? Well, for the first time in his life, Luffy didn't care if somebody was mad at him. He was a little scared, yeah, but it was so worth it, just to keep Zoro safe. Smiling softly, he moved to lie down and cuddle up with him when Nami poked her head in the door.

"Luffy," she whispered. "Can we talk please?"

Luffy looked around at Nami and blinked at her for a moment before smiling and creeping back out of the room, following her down to the kitchen. The familiar flood of fear bubbled in his stomach, knowing they were probably going to tell him he did something wrong, but, he did it for Zoro. Everything was for Zoro, because he was the most important thing to Luffy. If he had to be punished because he saved Zoro, then he'd be punished. Not to say he wasn't nervous, though. Sanji could be pretty scary sometimes – Nami too!

The red head led Luffy to the kitchen, motioning for him to take a seat so that the three of them were sat at three different sides of the table.

"Hi, Nami." he said, once they were all settled Sanji looked up from where he was sitting at the table and peered at Luffy carefully.

"About today," he said. Nami crossed her arms, watching her boyfriend expectantly, frowning as he fumbled over his thoughts.

"What…" she began, before rethinking her question, "How did you know those words?" Luffy was confused.

"What words?" he inquired, tilting his head. Nami raised an eyebrow. Luffy had already forgotten? Great. That made her job easier... NOT!

"The, uh, bad words." Sanji suggested a little nervously. He had a dirty mouth at times, but, what Luffy had said was just… vulgar! Understanding dawned on Luffy's face and he put a finger to his chin.

"Oh, those words." he responded, as he tilted his head in askance.

"Yeah, those." Nami urged. Luffy smiled almost shyly, kind of embarrassed. He'd heard the words enough time, but he still wondered If he said them right. He remembered his time with Gramps and how every day he had learnt a new word like that. He'd just picked Gramps' favourite ones.

"Gramps used to shout those things at me." he replied, nodding matter-of-factly. Nami's eyes widened a little as a frown crossed her face. Sanji scoffed slightly, frowning as well. As much as he hated Alvida, he couldn't _properly _hate her, because she was a lady. But, Luffy's grandfather was an old man. A bastard of an old man, and if Sanji had had the opportunity, he would have kicked first and... no… he wouldn't have even bothered to ask questions. Nami was frowning down at Luffy, her arms still crossed.

"Then why did _you _use them?" she asked, annoyed that Luffy had fallen back on his grandfather again. She'd thought he was beginning to get over that. Especially this morning, when Luffy had said that Zoro wasn't Gramps.

"Are you mad?" Luffy muttered, bowing his head slightly. Sanji shook his head, waving a hand in the air absently. Nami glanced at him in a 'speak for yourself' gesture, but she knew Luffy would react badly if she said she was mad. He would go into that obedient mode, and he'd avoided that for the past week. She wanted to keep him out of it as much as possible. Sanji turned to Luffy with a small smile.

"Of course not… but… we've never seen you act like that." he replied.

Relaxing at this statement, the boy shrugged as he remembered what had happened. How he had felt this burning in his chest when Alvida had caused Zoro pain. He HATED seeing Zoro in pain, and that had caused fire to flood through his veins and made him want to beat her until _she_ cried.

"I got… I dunno, I wanted to help Zoro… I think I got angry." he nodded, seemingly deep in thought. Nami looked at Sanji, who shrugged in return. Both of them were a little confused by this.

"You've never been angry before?" Nami asked, shaking her head a little at the same time. How could someone have never been angry? It seemed a bit… doubtful to say the least. Tilting his head, Luffy scratched his chin as he thought. He remembered those nights when Gramps would come home from the pub early, expecting to be fed, but instead finding Luffy asleep in the kitchen. How he'd yelled, and smashed things and threw glasses at Luffy. Even when drunk, Gramps' aim had been good. He could never remember feeling like he had today though. That was something totally new.

"I don't remember ever _being _angry, but that's how Gramps acted when he was angry," he shrugged, "I just copied him I guess."

"How did you remember all those words?" Sanji asked, slightly amazed. Luffy shrugged again.

"Gramps used to shout them a lot, and when all the kitties ate the food before I got any, I used to copy him - it was like a game." Slowly Luffy's smile faded and his eyes widened as he leaned back, "Did I do wrong?" He was apprehensive now; worried about what was going to happen to him. Would Nami and Sanji try to hurt him? Wasn't he supposed to say things like that? Ohhh, he'd just been trying to protect Zoro like he'd promised! Didn't they understand that?

"No Luffy, but, try not to use those words ever again. Okay?" Nami replied, offering a small smile, to let Luffy know everything was okay. "You were a good boy for helping Zoro. It was pretty funny seeing the look on Alvida's face." and she looked at Sanji as she began to chuckle. The blonde teen snorted and then began to chuckle himself.

"Gotta agree with that." he replied as he stood and moved over to Luffy, smiling and ruffling the boy's hair, "Go on up to bed now kid."

"Kay!" Luffy replied brightly as he grinned and turned around, jogging from the room, up the stairs and then sneaking past Zoro's room to his. He didn't want to risk waking Zoro up, no matter how much he wanted to snuggle with the older teen. He felt so happy that he had been able to fulfil his promise to Zoro! And he felt so good, because he knew that Zoro would never let anything happen to him either. Still smiling, Luffy settled himself into bed and opened his eyes to look at the straw hat sitting on the bedside table, for a moment. Maybe tomorrow, he would be able to play with Zoro some more and then he could tell how much he loved him. Either way, he was looking forward to the next morning...

--

Quiet. The lights were out. Thank hell for that. He'd been waiting here all damn night ever since seeing that brat at the circus, clinging to the other green haired brat and looking all… gay. What good luck he'd had today. He'd been heading to the shop when he'd seen them, laughing and joking, and on _this_ day no less! What an insolent brat he'd raised. Well, he'd learn soon enough why he should regret being born.

He'd followed them home, sniggered cruelly in the shadows of the alley opposite when that idiot green head got strangled by some bitch he didn't even know, and then glowered again when Luffy had stood up for him. God he hated that kid so much, but he was sick to death of doing his own damn chores, and having to clean his own damn house. The kid was supposed to do that, not him. Fuck it. Well, soon the brat would be back and he would have his obedient little mutt back. From the looks of things though, the dog would need another round of training to make sure he didn't run off.

The lights had been out for at least an hour, and it was now one in the morning. Surely all those morons in there were fast asleep by now? If not… then they were idiots. Moving over to the door, Garp tested it before smirking as he found it unlocked. He had another reason to thank that strangling bitch from earlier. They were all so preoccupied with the little moss head pick they forgot to lock up. He stepped in silently, dark, harsh eyes darting in the darkness. He left the door open, grabbing a pair of slippers from beside the door in front of it so it wouldn't slam and announce his presence. That was the last thing he needed.

Unlike that stupid bitch from before, he was no fool. He'd watched that group of pricks with his idiot grandson, and how protective they were of him. If he wanted to get him back for good and under his thumb, he had to get him away from here and these people.

Quickly realising that nobody was in the bottom of the house, he moved up the stairs and paused beside the first open door. Looking in, he saw that idiot green head tossing and turning. Nope, not in there. Squinting through the darkness, Garp followed the line of the hall and peered into the room at the end of it. A cruel smirk slid across his face as he spotted his quarry.

Luffy was asleep on the bed, limbs splayed out and pyjamas twisted around him. His mouth was open in a quiet snore, and his hat was lying on the bedside table. Moving in, Garp took hold of one of Luffy's arms and pulled him out of the bed, slinging the boy over his shoulder and then almost groaning at the weight the damn kid had gained.

"You're comin' with me, brat." he muttered vehemently before turning back with a sneer, glaring at the straw hat. He hated that thing, but it kept the brat quiet, so he let him keep it. It was about time he finally got rid of the damn hat, and if the little shit put up a fuss, he'd just beat him until he stayed quiet. Walking out of the room, he smirked in satisfaction at his plan, leaving the straw hat sitting on the bedside table, looking lonely and lost without its owner. He made it out of the house with no problem at all, and quietly shut the door before sneering and moving out onto the street. He would take Luffy home tonight, and then tomorrow, they were moving to a totally different area of the town. That would fix his problems for good. And he would make sure this brat NEVER defied him again.

--

Zoro blinked slowly awake in his room. He looked around a little, searching it for anything dangerous as he usually did upon waking, and then his eyes narrowed as he noticed his arms were empty, and there was no Luffy to fill them. Odd. He was sure Luffy had been about to snuggle down with him when he'd fallen asleep. Mind you, he had been pretty damn out of it when he'd been put here. Strangely though... he felt very calm, considering what had happened. Sure, he was still pretty shaken, but what Luffy had done... well, he wasn't quite sure _what _he'd done, actually. All he knew was, one minute he'd been ready to pass out and then the next, he was quite calm.

He'd never seen Luffy act like that before. So angry and violent… so strong. Luffy had promised to protect him from Alvida, but, he hadn't really expected him to. Luffy had shouted at him too, but it was different… so strange. He'd never done well with people shouting at him, but when Luffy did, he felt scared and safe at the same time. Had Luffy been mad at him? Or… was he just shouting because he thought he couldn't hear him? Either way, Zoro was glad the boy had done it. He wanted to thank him, to… cuddle him. Let him know how grateful he was that he was born and how thankful he was for today. Peering at the glow in the dark dial of his clock with a soft hum, Zoro's eyes narrowed further when he noticed it was four in the morning.

Now, _that _was odd.

Luffy should have been in here for sure. Getting up quietly, Zoro shivered a little in the cold and hugged himself while he padded from his room, past Nami and Sanji's half closed door (rolling his eyes at Sanji's loud snoring as he did so) and peering into Luffy's room. Now, if Luffy not being in Zoro's bed was odd… then this was freaking UFO worthy. The bed was empty, the sheets rumpled and definitely used, but there was no Luffy to be found.

"Luffy?" he called softly as he walked into the room. He searched under the bed, which was cleaner than his, around the room, (which, again, was cleaner than his) and in the cupboards and closets. No such luck. Zoro was starting to get a little worried now. It was too early for Luffy to be up doing his chores... surely! Luffy didn't get up until about seven. Zoro knew this as a rule as he was always awake and waiting for Luffy to wake up when that time came around. It was cute watching Luffy wake up.

"Luffy?" he asked one last time before moving out of the room and peeking into the bathroom; nope, nobody in there. Sanji gave another loud snore and Nami wrinkled her brow in frustration, prodding him hard in the side before rolling over, still fast asleep. Jerking at the prod and blinking awake, Sanji sat up and scratched his head blearily before yawning.

"Meh?" he noised as he looked around, before spotting Zoro walking past at a rather hurried pace. Narrowing his eyes slightly, Sanji got up and began searching the room in the darkness for his pants. For all the things that Zoro had done, strange or good or otherwise, he didn't get up at... 4 in the morning!? Was that really the time? Geeze... Something was definitely up then.

Meanwhile, Zoro was beginning to get really panicked. Where could the kid have gone? Why wasn't he responding? A thousand questions were churning through his head, tripping over each other as they often did when he started worrying about things. Panting a little nervously, he had a _bad _feeling about this. Something was definitely wrong here...

He had searched the kitchen, lounge room and bathroom four times over already and damn it, he was going to do it again until Luffy turned up! He wasn't going to give in! Luffy hadn't given up on him before, but if the kid had run away then he _would _have given up, so... he should give up? No, no, that wasn't right. Luffy hadn't run away because he'd given up... right? Frowning as his poor brain screamed in frustration at not being able to figure such a strange mystery out, he tried to think of somewhere where he hadn't searched yet.

The orange groves! That's where he would be! Running past the bottom of the stairs, Zoro hurried into the bathroom/laundry and opened the back door, letting it bounce off the wall behind him with a loud bang. Moving out into the orange groves where it was still dark and it was freezing cold, Zoro shivered as he looked around. He couldn't see anything out here, the light from the slowly rising sun barely enough to allow him to scan the orange groves. Well fine! He'd go and search every damn tree then! Shivering as he moved out among the trees, Zoro looked around, his breath fogging in the air as he panted.

"Luffy!" he called, not caring about the noise. This was getting beyond a joke, "Damn it, Luffy! This isn't funny!" Zoro was practically pleading by this stage, ruffling the leaves of the orange trees to try and find his missing little friend.

Sanji, who had just managed to find his pants and was attempting to pull them on backwards, blinked at Zoro's voice. Drowsily, he wondered what the hell was up with the green haired idiot, and why he was yelling at this hour of the morning. Then his eyes widened as he noticed whose name the teen was calling. ... And Zoro's voice didn't sound happy either. It sounded desperate, bordering on panicky.

Finally pulling on his trousers (the right way this time), he managed to hurry out of his room and down the stairs, shivering at the cold air that hit him like a slap to the face as he moved into the bathroom and peered out at Zoro. He could barely make the green haired teen out in the dim, but steadily growing light. From the looks of it, he wasn't wrong about the man sounding panicky. He was moving from tree to tree, running his hands through his hair almost desperately and looking completely and utterly lost.

Nami had also awoken to the noise upstairs. She'd had to listen for a second before it had finally occurred to her what was going on and after pulling on a warm jacket, began searching the upstairs rooms again, flicking on all the lights and looking in every corner.

Zoro twisted and spotted Sanji, his eyes widening slightly. Sanji would help! Any help right now would be welcome. He hurried back over, shivering from head to toe almost violently with both mild panic and cold.

"What's going on?" Sanji asked, apprehension in his tone as he glanced back at the orange groves and then focused his eyes on the shivering teen in front of him.

"Can't find him." he said, reaching up a hand and running it through his own hair, looking completely lost. Nami hurried down the stairs and over to the door that Sanji had just left through. Both men were searching the groves now, leaving no stone unturned.

"He's definitely not upstairs!" She called out to them. Zoro stopped then, as a devastating thought fairly cracked him over the head. What if... Oh god, what if! He'd been so _stupid _last night! With Alvida... and... damn it all! He suddenly stopped completely still, all cold and panic leaving him almost like a visible flood as his body went completely numb. That had to be it...

Sanji hurried out from behind a tree, looking from side to side and then grunting when he walked straight into the other teen.

"Oi, why'd you stop looking?" the blonde asked, frowning a little and stepping around the green haired man. Zoro shook his head slowly, eyes wide and his previous trembling starting up again.

"He ran away…" he said, his voice faint. That had to be it. He'd… he'd made Luffy angry by acting that way, and Luffy didn't want anything more to do with him. That had to be it! Or… maybe Luffy had had a nightmare and then tried to cuddle with Zoro but, somehow he'd hit him and Luffy had run away? Ack, now his brain was going all fuzzy and confused again. Sanji turned upon hearing the statement and shook his head.

"No! He'd never!" Sanji responded, refusing to believe that Luffy would just up and go. He knew for a blatant fact that Luffy wouldn't leave his friend. Not while Zoro still needed him, and he needed Zoro. Not to mention the whole little 'crush' thing that had come into play. He'd been getting so confident! No... Luffy wouldn't run away. Uh uh...

Nami frowned a little as Zoro continued to stare at nothing, and Sanji continued to scour the orange groves, before she moved back in and found the phone. The two had turned up at Usopp's last time, so it was worth a shot. But there was no such luck. Hanging up, Nami hurried back to the door while Zoro moved slowly towards the room and Sanji looked about ready to rip the trees apart to simply see if Luffy had gotten inside the trunk somehow.

"Usopp said he's not there, but he's going to search the town with Chopper." Nami said. Zoro simply brushed past her, his shoulders hunched over in defeat. Shaking his head, he sighed as he moved up the stairs and to his room, kicking the half closed door open and not caring that it made a massive slam against the wall. Frowning in both confusion as to where Luffy had gone, and annoyance at Zoro's bleak outlook on the situation, Sanji moved back into the house again, closing the door behind him as he did so. Zoro dropped onto his bed and buried his face in his pillow. This was his fault. If he hadn't been so damn… weak! Then Luffy would've stayed…

"…but he did, Sanji." Zoro mumbled to himself. Sanji looked up at the ceiling and frowned angrily. He hated it when Zoro acted like this.

"Stop being stupid, Zoro! You know Luffy better than that!" he yelled, incensed. Zoro gripped the sides of the pillow. He was angry, confused, and damn it all, if Sanji didn't stop calling him stupid he was going to punch the bastard into next year.

Getting up from his bed, Zoro stormed out of his room and back down the stairs, turning into the lounge room and glaring at Sanji. His eyes were narrowed, and he was bowing his head in such a fashion that shadows were covering his eyes while his hands were clenched into fists and were shaking ever so slightly in anger.

"Stop. Calling. Me. STUPID!" Zoro yelled, so damn angry he could barely see straight. Sanji blinked at him before frowning and taking a short step to the left and in front of Nami so if Zoro decided to get violent, then he would be protecting her.

"Where is he then!? He's not here!" Zoro continued, waving a hand around the room and then he frowned further and pressed both palms into his eyes as tears started to form, "He's not here…"

"He might have sleepwalked!" Sanji tried to reason. Why was Zoro being so… so… damn negative! Zoro let out an infuriated growl and spun around, kicking the wall and leaving a gigantic hole there. Nami gasped shortly as she put a hand over her mouth.

"He hasn't sleepwalked before!" the green haired teen replied as he turned away from the wall again, not even apologising. He'd never done that before. Broken windows in a wild panic, yes, smashed Sanji's room while he was panicking, yes. But he'd never broken anything of his own free will. It just wasn't done with Zoro...

"Calm down, Zoro." Nami said in a soft, but firm tone. Usually that would have quieted the raging teen, but right now, it only made the situation worse. Zoro shook his head forcefully, pendants in his ear swinging wildly before he glared at them.

"I don't WANT to calm down!" and he glanced at the doorway before stalking out of it. He'd had enough of this! Luffy was out there somewhere, and it was his fault! It had to be! He'd done wrong to act like a wimp in front of Al- _her _and Luffy didn't want to hang around with a wimp!

"Where are you going?" Nami called, hurrying to the door, Sanji following behind her.

"I'm going to find him!" Zoro replied, slipping his shoes on and reaching for the door handle.

"Zoro! It's freezing out there!" Sanji frowned, "At least get dressed. I'm coming with you." Zoro's hand stopped a few centimetres from the door handle, and his shoulders shook angrily for a moment before he spun around and stormed up the stairs, going back to his room. Sanji sighed and rubbed his forehead for a moment before leaning down and giving Nami a quick kiss.

"Get some more sleep." he instructed softly as he moved into the hall and towards the stairs so he could get dressed as well.

"I'll sit in the lounge. If Usopp rings, then I can hear it." and she moved over and sat down, resting her elbow on the armrest and placing her head on her hand. Sanji nodded, and walked out, heading up the stairs. She felt her lip quivering and bit it, forcing the prickling in her eyes back. They would find him… they had to.

Zoro had a horrible feeling churning in his gut as the chill air slowly cooled his raging temper. Now he could think a little better, it was abundantly clear Sanji was right... but it didn't make him feel any better. He had a dark and ominous feeling about this, eyes narrowed on the road ahead and completely ignoring the man walking beside him. Yes... a very ominous feeling, and he was sure he knew who it stemmed from…

_Don't worry Luffy,_ he thought, clenching his fists and feeling stronger than he ever had about anything in his life. _We'll find you._

**

* * *

**

Clarobell: Well, that's that then! The end of Dramatic Differences Part 1. Are you all screaming?? X3 Part 2 will start posting when we catch up and get a few chapters ahead, I think, and we also have 2 side stories that will start posting in the mean time to keep you occupied until DD2 starts posting. A special thanks to everyone who's stuck with us through this long fic, and I hope you enjoy DD2 as much as the first instalment. It's my favourite of the three parts!

**Plushie: thanks everyone. **


	36. Dramatic Differences Note

_"Hello there!_

_I'm not really sure how to beat around the bush on a subject like this, so I'll just jump straight to the point. I received a message recently from a reader of my joint fic 'Dramatic Differences'. It's been a long time since I wrote or worked on that fic at all. It was quite a surprise therefore to receive a note from somebody, and I don't plan on naming names, telling me that I owed it to my readers to post the second and third parts of that series. Many of you won't even know what I'm talking about as I'm not 'widely known' for my fanfiction on this website and so feel free to stop reading now._

_So, where to begin with this? You might wonder why I'm doing it publicly and the answer is so that if anybody should stumble onto my profile looking for the same answers, they will find it here once and for all. It's surprising how often this kind of thing is happening to me since the fic is SO old now. Usually the inquiries are polite and courteous, but every now and again you get one like today that just makes your blood boil._

_I'm very sorry to say that Dramatic Differences will never be finished. It was almost fully written many years ago, however ~zolo-plushie-chick, my co-writer and I have since had a fallout and are no longer in contact. I tried to explain this to the individual who took it upon themselves to note me the demand, however they were quite rude about my excuses. When they were unhappy with my response they got their friends to note me too, which is really quite immature. They are all now safely blocked from my dA and hopefully won't be bothering me again._

_It's nobody's business what happened between us concerning why we fell out of contact, people fall out every day. We were awesome friends for ages and that's all that really matters. right? We made an awesome fic together that lots of people loved! I don't know if she'd be okay with me posting a journal like this and since we're not in contact I can't really ask, but really I think it's necessary to set the story straight for anybody who is still waiting for that story._

_I'd like to apologise to anybody that is still waiting. I know there are many people that waited a long time quietly hoping it would be continued one day, but I'm afraid that's just not the case. Not only have we both grown apart, but we've both grown up and with that our interests and even our writing styles have matured and developed. Even if by some miracle, we got in contact and said 'Hey! Let's go write that fic!' our writing has just changed so much that it wouldn't be possible. Unfortunately I can't even give you an idea of how the story was supposed end up. Through several moves and several laptop failures, all the chapters and notes have gone missing for me and I don't expect Plushie has them either._

_Concerning my relationship with Plush, I don't plan to stir things up or draw a line and demand people take sides since those who know she and I tend to be mutual friends. I'm hoping she's happy in her endeavours and I'm focussing on bettering my life and self in general each day so please refrain from acting like a total douche like the individual who decided to note me and tell me what I should and shouldn't feel and do. It's just a fanfiction at the end of the day! Let's all be amicable about this._

_The main thing I wanted to breach here was the simple fact that no matter how badly anybody may want it, Dramatic Differences is officially dead. I'm glad so many found enjoyment in the story, but if I'm honest it was an angst drenched OOC story written by two teenagers. I had fun working with it but I'm a different person now and working with new projects and fandoms. Thank you so much to all who shared their views on our writing. It was so great to hear peoples feedback and to learn from the process of creating that fic. I'd be very grateful now if we could close the book on that chapter of our lives and leave it be. Just enjoy it for what it was and create your own ending with your imagination :) I know it's not the answer everybody wants to hear but it's what it is and nothing will change it. " _

**A direct quote from Clarobell. **

**As for my say on this subject, people change. I think it's disgraceful to be so damn rude about something you love so much. It reminds me of the review I received in regards to Night Vigil. No. Swearing at me or demanding something of me isn't going to make me want to write anything more on something (and I'm sure Clarobell feels the same here), it just makes me want to NOT complete it even more. **

**Dramatic Differences will never be completed. Thank you everyone for your support and reviews and love of this story. As Clarobell said, let your imaginations run wild. : ) **


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